Freedom Isn't Free
by maximumrideaddict
Summary: Freedom isn't free. It comes with a heavy price. Max had to leave her Flock so they could be free. Now she and six avians want to escape the School- badly. When and if they escape, will they really be free...? PLEASE READ NOTICE AT END. THANKS.
1. Prologue

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Disclaimer: Because I am not James Patterson, I do not own the fabulous Maximum Ride stories. If you don't believe me, well, you're crazy.

Hey everyone! I know it's been forever, but I am finally posting the sequel to "We've All Changed". Be sure to read that first, because much of this story has to do with the first one. I will try to update as often as I can. That should be once or twice a week. I am even more busy this school year, but I promise to make time for y'all here. I will be responding to any all all reviews, as time allows. Please do not send any flames. If you don't like my story, simply don't read it. Constructive criticism if fine. If you think of a good idea for my story, feel free to let me know. I may use it sometime. If I do, you'll be sure to get credit.

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Summery:

Max had to leave the Flock in order to protect them. Now, five or so years have passed, and Max is being held in a super-secret Itex building that was kept hidden from the Flock in their saving-the-world days. For a while all she wanted to do was die, then new avians were introduced to her. Max became their new leader. Now they want to escape. Max hasn't forgotten about her old Flock, though. She looks forward to seeing them someday, whether it's during or after life. When a chance to escape comes up, Max must decide whether or not she and the new Flock will be able to make it. And, if they do, she'll have to find Fang and the others. Right now, it looks impossible. But, the way her life has been thus far, _nothing_ is impossible.  
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I hope that's a good summery! It's so hard not to accidentally leak part of the story out... The title for this might change. I'm just not sure yet.

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_When two worlds merge,_

_The old and the new,_

_And everything goes wrong,_

_What will you do?_

_When nothing goes right,_

_And all has failed too,_

_If all hope is lost,_

_What will you do?_

_When your life is not in your hands,_

_And death is long overdue,_

_But you promise not to die,_

_What will you do?_

_When you're trapped in some cell,_

_Hoping for a sign or a cue,_

_And you wonder if things will ever make sense,_

_What will you do?_

_When you need help moving on,_

_And don't know who to look to,_

_If a prayer is all that will work,_

_What will you do?_

I wrote this poem and I think it goes well with my story. At least, I hope it does. I'm not very good at poetry (I think), so I don't really know whether or not this is any about poetry! I believe this is supposed to be about my story. I am not sure how long the sequel will be, mostly because I do not know how it will end yet. As far as that's concerned, it will end when it ends.

I usually always put announcer notes in the beginning and end of each chapter. I will not post any A/N in my actual story. It annoys me when people interrupt a story to say something they could put at the end, so there is no way I'd do it. I will try to keep my A/N short and to the point. If anything needs to be explained, the explanation will be put there. It does help to read A/N's, explanations or no.

Lastly, if anyone is interested in being a Beta Reader, let me know. Also, please explain to me what a Beta Reader is. I think I might know, but I'm not sure. ^-^

I think that's all I have to say. I hope y'all like this story. Good night and God bless! -Max (my alias, not my real name)


	2. Escaping the School

**Hey! Max here with chapter one! Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride. Duh.**

**Claimer: I do own my characters and plots.**

**Enjoy!**

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"Are they gonna feed us today?" Breeze asked, her small body leaning against my left side.

"I don't know," I answered softly, running a hand through her jet black hair, my thoughts elsewhere.

"Oh," Breeze sighed. I felt bad for her. She was only eight years old. Eight-year-olds shouldn't have to worry about things like that.

I looked around the room. Something was wrong. The Whitecoats had moved us into a small, windowless white room. We weren't in cages anymore. We were just locked in an empty room. It reminded me of that time, years ago, when I was with my original Flock and we were, once again, trapped at the School. I hoped that they were at least safe now, unlike us.

"What're they gonna do to us?" five-year-old Jordan wondered in a frightened voice. Sixteen-year-old Dylan sighed, knowing _exactly_ what they were going to do.

"Somethin' bad, I bet," Lumi answered the boy. I growled, sending her the _look_. Lumi, short for Illuminate, was very smart at ten, but she still needed to learn when to keep her mouth shut.

"I don't wanna get hurt," Vani, short for Vanish, whined, his three-year-old voice cracking. I hugged him tightly to my body in an attempt to keep him from crying. He hardly ever cried, so I knew the suspense was tearing at him.

"I won't let them," I assured everyone. They'd be safe, even if I wasn't.

"Me either," Dylan agreed. His voice sounded sure, but I knew better. I could by looking in his eyes, ones that knew sixteen years of pain, that he was terrified. And I didn't blame him. Anyone would be scared in our situation. They would have to be insane not to.

"Fly?" Ty asked in her baby voice. I smiled. 'Fly' was the first word she ever said. It was the only word she knew and it suited her perfectly, too.

"Not now, baby," I answered softly. "Soon." She looked up at me, confused.

"Soon?" Dylan questioned. He knew as well as I did that the Whitecoats wouldn't let us fly.

"I have a plan," I explained, trying to sound sure. The younger kid's eyes brightened up as I told them my plan. Dylan didn't get excited, though. He was a realist. He had suffered too much to get excited over a chance of escape. Of course, I doubted my plan would work, too. I learned during the last five years that the Whitecoats, the crazy scientists experimenting on us, were trying- and succeeding- to stay one step ahead of us.

The kids were always dreaming about being free. They have always wanted to fly. Ever since I met them, that's all they talked about. I'd tell them stories of my Flock to keep their hopes up. It always worked.

"Do you think you guys can do that?" I asked after I finished explaining the plan.

"Yeah!" Breeze and Lumi answered. Jordan nodded his head in agreement. Dylan looked at me doubtfully, but I ignored it.

"Good."

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We waited around forever for the Whitecoats to come back for us. In reality, I think it was a day or two. Forever seems more like it. But they eventually did return.

"Come with us."

We followed obediently. I was tense, ready to fight. Nothing happened. We were led outside. I frowned. Something wasn't right. Why would they just bring us _outside_? We weren't even in a cage, or tied up. It was as if they _wanted _us to run. Or testing us to see if we would.

_**Bingo, Maximum**_, a voice in my head stated. I instinctively put my hand to my head, cringing a little at the pain it brought..

_What are you doing here?_ I demanded. _And where have you been the last five years? Six, if you don't count that brief period you were with me after I returned to the Flock._

_**Max, Max, Max,**_ the Voice replied, as if I did something wrong. _**Take this chance and run. I'll explain things later.**_

_How do I know I can trust you, Jeb? _I demanded. _After all, you're the new director, the reason for our pain and distress._

_**I helped you escape ten years ago, **_Jeb explained. _**You just have to trust me again.**_

_You're the reason I'm here in the first place,_ I reminded him. _How could I possibly trust you?_

_**And I'm sorry for that,**_ Jeb apologized. _**I want these kids to have the same taste of freedom that you did. Go now. This is really a test, as you guessed. They don't think you'll run. Prove them wrong.**_

It's always a test, buy you don't have to tell me to escape twice. There was a chance. I'd take the risk. I looked down at the kids.

"Run!" I ordered.

We ran. I kept my pace slower so that I wouldn't get ahead of the kids. Vani wasn't moving nearly fast enough, so I grabbed him. He clung to my neck, terrified. I held Ty close to my body.

"Dylan, grab your brother!" I called. Dylan nodded and picked Jordon up off the ground, not breaking his pace. I'm so glad these kids listen to me!

The Whitecoats watched us run, confused. Jeb was right. They hadn't expected us to run. Finally though, they came to their senses, to my dismay, and got backup. We were far away by then, but not far enough.

"I can't run anymore," Breeze whined. "Max…"

"Keep running," I commanded. "You have to. We need to get _far_ away."

"We can fly," Lumi pointed out. I shook my head.

"I'm the only one who knows how," I reminded her. "And I haven't done it in years. Right now it's faster if we run."

"Max, my legs hurt real bad," Breeze whispered, tears forming in her eyes. She stopped. "I can't run no more."

I sighed. Everyone stopped moving.

"Dylan, take Vani."

I handed the little boy to Dylan and grabbed Breeze. She weighed a little more then Vanish, but not that much. We ran again.

I knew we'd need to rest soon. Lumi couldn't possibly run for too much longer. Dylan and I could've run for at least three more hours, but Lumi was just a kid. She didn't have our endurance yet.

"How are you doing, Lumi?" Dylan asked.

"Fine," Lumi answered. She was breathing a little harder then usual, but not by much. She was used to running for long amounts of time at once. Endurance was always one of the School's favorite tests.

"Let us know when you're tired," I told her. "We'll stop."

Illuminate nodded. We continued running.

_**You can stop here,**_ Jeb told me about two hours later. The sky was growing rapidly dark. _**You're safe... for now.**_

"Let's stop," I suggested. Lumi and Dylan agreed gratefully.

We stopped in a clearing. Tops of trees blocked our view of the sky. I guessed no one could see us either. I could hope so, at least.

We laid the sleeping kids on the ground. Not one of them stirred. Lumi tried to stay up, but she crashed shortly after we stopped. Dylan made a fire. I fed Tyler.

"Get some sleep, Dylan," I ordered the teen. "I'll take watch. I'm not tired anyway."

Dylan nodded, and laid down on the ground. He pretended to fall asleep. I remained awake.

_So, Jeb, _I thought bitterly. _Where am I s'posed to go now? I have these six kids and no clue where I am. A little help?_

_**You need to find Valencia Martinez,**_ Jeb instructed me. _**Continue north. You'll eventually find her.**_

That didn't really help me. I'd _eventually_ find her? After what? A day? A month? A year? And I still needed to get food for these kids. New clothes wouldn't hurt, either.

"I don't trust him," Dylan whispered from where he lay. "He's the reason we're in this mess."

"Don't worry, Fang never trusted him either," I assured him. "But so far Jeb hasn't lied to me… At least, not when he uses the Voice."

Fang. I missed him so much. I mean, I missed the other kids like crazy, but I missed Fang the most. He knew me the best. He was the half that made me whole. He was my _boyfriend_. For a day, at least. We'd kissed, saved each other _countless_ times, and I knew what the other was thinking just by looking at him. It was the same for him. We'd only been seperated twice, after I let Ari join us and when he kicked me out the Flock. I'd never truly hated him. It was impossible to hate someone I loved so much.

"You'll see him again someday," Dylan whispered. "And he'll be excited when he see's you and the kids."

I rolled my eyes. "Fang's not the type to get excited over that." At least, not that I can remember. "Now, get some sleep," I ordered Dylan again. "It's not healthy for you to stay up so much."

"It's not healthy for you, either," the teen reminded me. I rolled my eyes.

"Don't worry about me," I breathed. "I was staying up for days at a time long before you were born."

Dylan fell asleep for real, finally. I listened to my young Flock's even breathing. It calmed me a bit, like always. I knew tomorrow we'd be running for our lives, literally, but right now I felt good. Not safe, but out of danger for the time being. I was almost relaxed. Almost. I'd only be able to fully relax, or at least come close to it, when I was back with Fang and the others. Then I'd be safe.

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**And that's the end of chapter one! No cliffy, I think. Will Max and her new Flock escape? Wait and see!**

**Names and Ages:**

**Maximum- 20 (Max)**

**Dylan- 16**

**Illuminate: 10 (Lumi)**

**Breeze: 8 (Bree)**

**Jordan: 5**

**Vanish: 3 (Vani)**

**Tyler: infant (Ty)**

**-**

**More characters to come. **

**Quotes of the chapter (will have nothing to do with the chapter):**

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Of all the things that could frighten you, you worry about my driving? - Edward Cullen  
And so the lion fell in love with the lamb.- Edward Cullen  
Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.  
I like work. It fascinates me. I sit and look at it for hours.  
Perfect men are only fictional. (...Fang and Edward...)  
A torn jacket is soon mended, but hard words can bruise the heart of a child.  
A bird can only soar if the sky has no bounds.  
Why can't scientists do something productive like cure cancer or something and no, killing everyone who has cancer does not count as a cure! -MR  
Of course I'm talking to myself. Who else can I trust?  
Why not have your cake and eat it too - it's cake, what else are you going to do with it?  
Behind every successful man there is a suprised woman.  
Whatever it is -- I didn't do it!  
Revenge is a dish best served cold. -Sasuke from Naruto

Well, that's all for now. More to come eventually. Good night and God bless! -Max


	3. Clothes and Rest

**Thank you my reviewers! Glad you like my story so far! Here's chapter two. Enjoy! -Max**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride. DUH.**

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I stood on the edge of a cliff, aching to spread my wings and fly as the sun rose slowly in the sky. I held Tyler on one hip and Vani on the other. Dylan stood beside me, ready to fight. Illuminate and Breeze clung onto him for dear life. Jordan held tightly to my leg.

We had just escaped the Mexican School and have been free for almost a whole day. Now we were surrounded, and had only one logical choice. Flyboys blocked our running escape, so we had to jump. I sensed back-up on the way, too.

"Come with us," Flyboys droned. I smirked, looking down at the canyon below. This wasn't how I wanted the first flying lesson to go, but it was now or never.

_What's the plan?_ Dylan wondered.

_Fly,_ I answered. Dylan gave a slight nod. He was a telepath like Angel and Kuro, but his powers were greater then their's combined. Itex has a great interest in telepathy and has tested it's limitations on multiple children, but they are the only successes, each more powerful then the previous one.

Dylan spun around and took Vani from my arms, jumping over the cliffs in one swift move. He snapped his eighteen-foot silvery-gold wings open and started rising a few hundred feet from the bottom. He was a natural, even without practice.

"Lumi? Breeze? Jordan?" I whispered. "Copy Dylan. Now."

I waited. None of them moved. I sighed. Lumi looked up at me with her light brown eyes, full of terror.

"We can't!" she exclaimed softly, in a scared child's voice. "It's against the rules!"

"We'll get punished," Breeze added, as terrified as Lumi. Jordan merely nodded.

"You guys know I'd never let anything hurt you," I reminded the kids. "Trust me. Jump over the cliff and open your wings. Fly. It's safe, I've done it billions of times."

"But Max…!" Jordan whined, trying to point to the Flyboy's back-up.

"Just trust me," I demanded. "These Flyboys are too dumb to follow. GO!"

The kids still weren't sure about it, but I gave them no time to think. Still holding Ty, I picked each one up and chucked them into the air. Now they had no choice but to fly.

"Open your wings!" I screamed, throwing myself over the ledge. The Flyboys watched helplessly. This was an older batch, I realized. None of them had weapons. They couldn't fly, either. The School underestimated me again. Big mistake.

I watched as all three of the kids snapped open their wings. I breathed a sigh of relief. They actually listened.

"Come on, guys!" I ordered as the back-up arrived. I followed the kids as they rose up to where Dylan waited, high above the cliff face.

I turned my head, following Dylan's petrified gaze, to see what the back-up included. I was way surprised at what I saw. There were four of them, all children. Two boys, two girls. Everything about them was perfect. Even their angry little eyes and their terrifying black-and-white wings.

_What are they?_ I asked myself. _Experiments… But their perfect, not harmed, and well-fed._

"DYLAN!" Jordan screeched. "IT'S THEM!"

"What's them?" Breeze asked, worry in her voice.

_Dylan?_ I demanded. _WHAT are they and WHY is your brother so TERRIFIED OF THEM?_

The sixteen-year-old gave me an I'm-really-sorry-I-didn't-tell-you-this-before look.

"They are Immortals," he explained, his voice strained. "They are perfect creatures. They have wings, and powers, like we do. They never get tired in battle. I have battled them many times, and it never turned out good."

I knew these things had to be bad if Dylan was _showing_ how scared he was. I could hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes. Fear was practically radiating off of him.

I looked back at the four children. They stood on the cliffs, watching us silently. Two had their heads cocked to the side as if they were wondering who- or what- we were. Both of those kids were dressed in all white, had white wings, and had white hair. The other two kids wore black clothes, had black wings, and black hair.

"Max…? Max…? MAX!"

It took Breeze, Lumi, and Jordan's terrified cries for me to snap out of my thoughts. Jordan had tears running down his little face. I narrowed my eyes, wanting to rip the Immortal's throats apart. How dare they frighten this little boy so badly!

_I do not think even you could defeat them,_ Dylan told me. _Their powers are a hundred times better then mine._

I growled. I wanted to fight them so bad.

_**Fight them another time,**_ Voice said. _**Get out while you can.**_

"Let's scram," I muttered. Dylan gave me a grateful look.

_We're talking about this soon,_ I warned him. He sighed and turned away, guilty. The rest of us followed.

I knew I didn't have long until the kids were too tired to continue. It was their first time flying. I wished I had been able to teach them properly like Jeb had shown us all those years ago, but I didn't have the time.

I managed to keep the kids going for almost two hours. I spent the time telling them stories since we were flying over some desert. Of course we had to land, though. We hadn't had much to eat in the longest time.

I showed the others how to angle down and land. None of us landed right. Even me. The others had never tried it before, and I hadn't done it in five years.

"Can we get something to eat?" Breeze asked. I smiled at her, blue eyes wide. She was always asking about eating.

"Of course," I answered. Now to find somewhere to eat…

"There's a town three miles from here," Dylan supplied. "Big city, lots of people.

Perfect. We could hide nicely in a city. We could get food and clothes, and maybe even a place to sleep.

"Money," Dylan reminded me. "We need money, though."

I pulled a small plastic card out of my pocket and waved it in front of his face.

"My credit card," I explained. "We can buy anything with it. Let's go."

We walked the three miles to the city. By the time we got there, it was dark. Vanish and Tyler were both asleep, and Jordan was close to it.

I led us to a clothes store first. It was the first one I spotted. The clothes were all second-hand, but they were better then nothing. If there's one thing I learned in the last ten or so years, it's to not be picky about anything at all.

It was a small store, hardly noticeable in the sizable city. There was a young man sitting at the cash register, and an elderly woman wandering around the store.

"Hola!" the woman called out. "Como estas?"

I smiled politely at the woman. She was speaking Spanish, obviously. I knew some Spanish, having been living in the Mexican School for the last five years where almost everyone spoke Spanish, but not enough to continue a long conversation. Especially one that involved buying things.

"Bien, gracias," I replied. "Hablas ingles?"

"No, no hablo." The woman shook her head. She pointed to the boy, speaking rapid Spanish, none of which I could follow.

I turned to the boy. He looked up at me with a smile.

"My name's Ivan," he stated with a heavy accent. "That's my mother, Sara. Do you need any help?"

"I'm Max," I responded. "We're in dire need of new clothes, actually."

"You look like you escaped a boot camp," Ivan joked. He laughed heartily.

"Something like that," I said. I turned to Dylan. "Take the boys and find clothes. Whatever you guys want, ok?"

"Aye," Dylan agreed. I rolled my eyes as he led Jordan over to where the boy's clothes were, carrying the sleeping Vani. I led the girls over to the girl's clothes.

Breeze and Lumi went crazy over the clothes. They had never seen anything like it before. I laughed softly.

I had trouble finding baby clothes for Ty. Finally I had to go up to Ivan and ask him.

"Where are your baby clothes?" I wondered. He frowned.

"Well, we don't have any," he confided. "Everyone around here saves their baby clothes for family members. I'm sure Mama has some clothes for the child at home."

Ivan went over to where his mother was emptying boxes of pants and shirts. They began speaking Spanish again, and I vowed to eventually learn the language myself.

"She would like you guys to come on over to our home later," Ivan informed me. "She'll fix up some dinner and give you a place to rest. It's obvious you're not from around here."

"You're right," I agreed, not wanting to say more. Ivan just nodded and went to the counter.

I wandered back to Lumi and Breeze, grabbing a few outfits for myself. The two girls seemed satisfied with their choices. We placed them on the counter up front. The boys joined us shortly, adding to the pile.

Ivan rung up all the clothes. As I was reaching for my credit card, Dylan stopped me.

"I need to pay for the clothes, Dylan," I reminded him. He smiled.

"I'll pay," he offered. He pulled out a wad of cash.

_Where'd you get that money?_ I demanded.

_Jeb doesn't know how to hide his wallet,_ he explained. _It was just sitting on the counter, and I figured we'd need money. I didn't know about the credit card. But I'll need to exchange it at the border._

I let Dylan pay for the clothes. Our total hardly came to fifty dollars, though we bought so much.

"I'll take you to the house," Ivan offered. He lead us out into the night.

We walked for about two miles, in the opposite direction that we came in, down dim and deserted streets. The shabby house was towards the back of a hidden alley.

"Is everywhere like this?" Breeze wondered with a yawn.

"No, sweetie," I answered. "You'll see different places soon, I promise."

The eight-year-old smiled at me, weariness taking over her innocent features. I smiled back, happy to have a place for these kids to sleep tonight.

"And here we are!" Ivan announced. I looked up at a small home, nicer then others but still rather poor.

Ivan lead us inside. I was surprised to find three bedrooms. Ivan said that we could have the spare one.

I put Lumi, Breeze, and Jordan to sleep in the queen-sized bed. I made a nest on the ground for Vani, and continued holding Ty. Dylan fell asleep on a torn-up second-hand sofa, and I fell asleep on a second-hand recliner that was in a relatively good condition. None of us bothered to stay awake. If we were to die tonight, that'd be fine. We were finally free from the School.

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**Yah, so not much has happened yet, but it will soon. Um... I don't have very much to say right now. Review, please! -Max**


	4. Max's FamilyAngel's Vision

**Sorry for the long wait! I've been busy... Enjoy! -Max**

**Disclaimer: I don't own MR. Isn't it obvious?**

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I woke up the next day not knowing where I was. It all came back to me quickly, though.

I smiled at my sleeping baby, resting for a few more minutes. I finally sat up, and she woke with the movement.

"Shhh, baby," I whispered. "Dylan's sleeping."

Tyler gave me a tiny nod. I was always surprised by how smart she was. The Whitecoats had done some tests on her brain the day she was born, causing her to be able to understand everything, even though she couldn't make intelligent responses. Yet.

I stood up and moved through the house silently. I wanted to check on the other kids. They were all still asleep in the bedroom. I didn't want to interrupt their peaceful sleep, so I left as quietly as I had entered.

Dylan was awake by the time I finished using the toilet and giving Ty a quick bath. He was in the miniature kitchen, talking to the kid from yesterday.

"I hear you know Valencia Martinez," Ivan said. I nodded.

"Yah, she helped me out a long time ago," I agreed, not understanding why he brought that up.

"She is my aunt," Ivan stated matter-of-factly.

"Do you know where she is right now?" I asked excitedly.

"Yah," Ivan answered. "She's at my other aunt's house."

"Where?" I wondered.

"It's in Texas," Ivan said. My eyes lit up. "About ten miles outside Houston."

"Thanks so much," I breathed. "For everything."

As soon as the kids woke up we left, packed with two days worth of food and extra clothing. Now that they could fly somewhat well, we could move faster. It took about a day and a half to reach our destination. Including breaks.

I spotted the house Ivan had mentioned before anyone else did. I angled myself south-west a tiny bit so I could slowly descend. We landed a mile from the house and walked up to the door nervously. I rang the doorbell. The door opened shortly after. A very familiar woman stood in the doorway.

"Yes?" she asked, confused. "May I help you?

"Dr. Martinez?" I wondered. The woman looked up (I was taller than her!) and her face broke into a huge grin.

"Max," she whispered almost silently, hand on her heart. Or at least in the general location.

I could only nod in reply.

"Who's there, Valencia?" a man's voice called out. I froze at the voice. It was an unmistakable voice. He was my favorite person for the first fourteen years of my life, then my worst enemy for the last six. Even more now than before.

"It's Max!" Dr. Martinez cried, her eyes brimmed with tears. She hugged me tightly. I relaxed a little in her loving hold. Jeb came out into the doorway. He froze when he saw me and the kids.

"How'd you get out?" he questioned. His voice wasn't angry. It was more awed. And frustrated a tiny bit, too.

_He does not know of our escape,_ Dylan informed me. _Apparently we were not even supposed to be taken outside. He is going to fire someone now._

I smirked. Jeb wasn't doing a very good job running his company, was he?

"They let us go!" Lumi exclaimed happily, in answer to Jeb's question. "But then They came after us. We ran, though."

Jeb raised his eyebrows. I looked at him, silently saying, "You're the one who told me to leave!"

"Come on in," Dr. Martinez offered. "I bet you're tired. Oh, and this is my sister's house, but she's not here right now."

"Fang and the others keep coming by Val's home," Jeb informed me as we walked indoors, a bewildered look on his usually calm face. He still couldn't believe we were out. My heart swelled at Fang's name. "They were always asking about you. Eventually Valencia here decided to put in an extension on the house. There are more rooms now."

Jeb and Dr. Martinez led us upstairs. The whole house was huge. Marble everything. I had never seen so much marble in one place before. It was breathtaking.

I put the five younger kids to bed, the girls in one room and the boys in another. Dylan refused to go to sleep yet. I knew Jeb and Dr. Martinez wanted to talk with me, so it would be a long wait.

"Would you like some cookies?" Dr. Martinez wondered. My eyes lit up and she laughed.

The four of us sat at a dining-room table with cookies and hot chocolate. Jeb put two marshmallows in my cup just like old times, which make me feel a little guilty for being so cold to him. While Dylan was chewing- and savoring the flavor of- a chocolate-chip cookie, I asked Dr. Martinez about Ella, and she said the girl was in collage. Wow.

"Max, how are you?" Dr. Martinez asked. "I haven't seen you in over five years."

"I'm fine," I lied. "I've been… Busy."

Dr. Martinez nodded, showing she understood that I didn't want to talk about what I've been up to. Jeb seemed happy about my decision.

"Jeb, can you check the laundry?" Dr. Martinez suddenly requested after a few minutes of silence. "I think it's done." He nodded and left, partially annoyed.

"Do you know where the Flock is?" I asked once Jeb was out of ear shot.

"Yes," Dr. Martinez answered. "Fang told me a while ago. Is that where you're headed?" I nodded. "Here, I'll write down the address for you."

The older woman took out a pen and piece of paper and scribbled something down. She handed it to me. I put it away just as Jeb entered the room.

"Jeb, can I tell her?" Dr. Martinez asked the man. He thought hard for a few seconds. I wondered what she wanted to tell me.

"I guess it won't hurt to tell her now," Jeb answered slowly. Dr. Martinez smiled gladly.

"Max, the Flock knows this already and that's why the keep coming to my place," Dr. Martinez began. I sat in my seat, impatient to find out what she was talking about. "I'm your mom, Max."

My jaw dropped open. I hadn't been this shocked in years. Finally I closed my mouth and grinned. She was my mom. That made me so happy!

"And I'm your father, Max," Jeb added. "Just like you used to want."

Jeb was my dad? I could do without that. But Dr. Martinez was my mom? That was the best news I'd ever received. EVER.

"That's so cool!" I exclaimed.

"It is," Dylan agreed, speaking for the first time this entire conversation. He knew how badly I'd wanted Jeb to be my dad when I was little and how much I loved Dr. Martinez ever since that day five or so years ago.

"Val, what time is it?" Jeb wondered. I couldn't really bring myself to call him dad. Not after all he'd done to me. Not yet, anyway.

"It's after twelve!" Dr. Martinez, I mean Mom, answered. "I need to get to bed. I have to go home tomorrow morning. It's great to see you, Max. I hope you'll come by home soon."

"I will, Mom," I replied.

My mom jumped up and ran off, somewhat frenzied. Jeb followed her. He looked amused. Dylan and I walked up to our borrowed rooms in silence.

_I still don't trust him, _Dylan thought to me after we were in our separate rooms.

_I know. I don't, either, _I replied_. Don't worry. We'll leave first thing tomorrow._

_Good, _Dylan agreed_. G'night._

_Goodnight._

I walked into my room and climbed into bed. I had Tyler in a make-shift crib made out of some blankets and a dresser drawer. She was sleeping soundly.

_This is great,_ I thought happily. _Dr. Martinez is my mom, Ella's my sister. That means that Sara is my aunt and Ivan is my cousin. And whoever's house this is must be my other aunt. It's nice to know I actually have a blood family..._

I fell asleep for the second time in a long time, and for the second day in a row. A new record! I was happy, and relaxed. Well, as relaxed as a twenty-year-old bird hybrid who was constantly on the run and had to find her family before some evil scientists were able to capture them could get. As long as I could return home soon, everything would be wonderful.

* * *

_*The Flock*_

Fang looked up from the stack of papers on his desk to see Gazzy shuffling into his office. Fang frowned, knowing what had happened that caused the rowdy boy to be so gloomy.

"Your principal called."

Gazzy looked at the ground, watching his feet with great interest.

"Yah…" the boy replied.

"It's the third time in two weeks, Gazzy." Fang spoke softly, trying to cheer him up. "I know it's hard for you to behave, but _please_ try. This is your third school this year. Don't mess it up." _Again._

"I know you're tryin' to make me feel better," Gazzy accused. "And… Thanks. I guess."

"I know, Max was better at this then me," Fang whispered. Gazzy nodded. "Why don't you go find Iggy? He has a new idea for a bomb…"

Gazzy's eyes lit up and he ran off.

_Ever since Max left- again- the poor boy's been depressed off and on. At least Iggy can keep him happy with his ideas… Ugh! How did Max ever do this…? Five years and it's still as hard as the first day. And it doesn't look like it's getting any easier._

A tentative knock interrupted Fang's thoughts. Angel stepped into the room followed by Nudge. It was clear Angel was depressed just by looking at the miserable expression she wore all the time. She missed Max as much as Fang did. Sometimes Fang even thought she missed Max more than he did. Nudge, on the other hand, had stayed upbeat and chattery, though she had become more careful of what she said around people. Angel had hurt herself once after Nudge started rambling on and on about how much she missed Max. It had taken nearly three weeks for the little girl to recover.

"Ange?" Fang asked cautiously. "Nudge? Is something wrong?"

"Angel saw something in a vision," Nudge answered. She sounded terrified. "It's about Max."

Fang dropped his pen and hurried to Angel's side. He gave her a quick hug.

"What is it?" he wondered.

_A vision? When did she get this power? And when did Nudge tell Angel about it?_

"Max needs our help," Angel whispered, her voice cracking. She hardly ever spoke in the last five years. "She's in danger."

"Where is she?" Fang demanded gently.

"I'm not sure…" Angel replied, tears silently making their way down her smooth cheeks. "At a School. Here, in the States. She's not there yet, but she will be soon."

"Draw for him what you saw," Nudge urged. She handed Angel a pencil and paper. Angel made a rough sketch and handed it to Fang.

_So this is why Ange has all those drawings in her room... They're her visions..._

"Looks like… The School we were at?" Fang mused. "I thought she blew it up…"

_She told me they got rid of it,_ Fang thought. _And she made me promise not to go after her… But we need her back more then she knows… This is bad. Very bad. What do I do? What would Max do…?_

"They rebuilt it," Angel whispered. "Max needs us! They're gonna hurt her and the babies! Fang, if we don't go save her, Max will die!"

* * *

**I hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving (if you celebrated it). I hope you liked this chapter. I'll try to update faster next time! There will be action soon. Hang in there. -Max**


	5. Ana and Shopping

**I'm not doing so good with updating. Sorry! I hope you like this chapter. -Max**

**Disclaimer: I am the proud owner of the Maximum Ride series. ^-^ And if you believe me, you need to take a good look at the cover of the books and vist JP's website. Whose name is there? I bet a billion and one dollars it's not my name...**

**Claimer: I think it's obvious....**

* * *

My mom came into my room the next morning. She gave me a sleepy smile. I noticed how the worry-lines on her face seemed to evaporate when I was with her.

"Max, I missed you so much," she said to me. I pulled myself into a sitting position on the bed and my mom did the same.

"Yah, me too," I replied.

"What happened?" Mom asked. "You disappeared for five years, then show up at my sister's house. Where were you?"

"I can't tell you," I sighed. My mom nodded. She knew where I had been. Or at least she had a rough idea of it.

"Is that where you found all those kids?" she wondered.

"I found most of them there," I answered slowly. "I didn't exactly _find_ Ty or Vani…"

"What do you mean?" my mom inquired.

"Valencia!" Jeb called from the hallway. "We have to leave now to get to the plane on time!"

My mom looked at me sadly.

"Promise you'll come by soon," she requested.

"We will," I promised. My mom gave me a tight squeeze then rushed away.

I stood and stretched my muscles. Tyler was still asleep in her drawer. I decided to take a shower while she napped.

Connected to my huge room was a large bathroom. The giant bathtub took up only a quarter of the room. I stepped into the shower and turned the water on. The water was so hot. I didn't ever want to get out.

Reluctantly, I stepped out of the shower. I dried off and changed back into my clothes.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, there was a strange lady sitting on my bed. In her hands were my little baby. I growled instinctively.

"Who are you?" I demanded. The woman looked up, surprised.

"I'm Ana Varga," she answered. Her voice was soft and friendly, a high-pitched Texas accent. "And who are you?"

"Max," I said. I kept my narrowed eyes on Tyler.

"May I ask why you're in my house, Max?" Ana wondered.

"I came to see my mom," I answered. "She just left."

"Val's your mom?" Ana asked, shocked.

"Yah," I answered.

"So you're the one Val's been telling me about." Ana smiled. "She talks so much about you." Her eyes narrowed the tiniest bit. "And so does Jeb."

"Can I have my baby?" I requested. I couldn't stand seeing her in someone else's hands. Especially a stranger's hands.

"Of course," Ana agreed. She handed me Ty. I relaxed a little.

Ana studied me carefully. I didn't worry if she could see my wings or not. I knew she couldn't. The School had made it so I could turn my wings ghost-like years ago.

"How long did you plan on staying here?" my aunt wondered.

"Um," I faltered. "I don't know. I just had to see my mom…"

"You should stay here for a while," Ana suggested. "It looks like you could use some food."

"Thanks," I muttered. _This solves our food problem…_ Ana smiled.

"No problem," she replied. "I'll get my cook to make us some breakfast. Is it just you two here?"

"No," I said. "There's seven of us."

"I'll have my cook make a feast," Ana stated. "Since it looks like you could use a ton of food."

If only she knew.

"That'd be great," I replied. Ana nodded and skipped off. I shook my head. That women, who was obviously my mom's _younger_ sister, would drive me insane if we remained here for too long. _Too happy and peppy. And very blonde. Like a high school cheerleader…_

I reached into my pocket and fingered a piece of paper. That paper was my key to getting home.

I rounded the kids up for breakfast some time later. Ana led us down to the dining room. On the table was more food then I'd ever seen at once. Ana laughed at our shocked-- and pleased-- faces.

We sat around the HUGE table and dug in. There was every kind of breakfast food imaginable. It was all fresh and delicious.

Ana was startled by our impressive appetites. We had finished off every last thing on the table. I prepared some convincing lies, but I didn't need to use any of them. She didn't ask about anything.

"Please excuse me," Ana said as she stood up. "I need to get to work. Make yourselves at home here."

The woman left.

"Can we go explore, Max?" Illuminate asked. She looked up at me, her eyes twinkling.

_I need to talk to you,_ Dylan thought to me.

"Go ahead," I said to the kids. Lumi, Breeze, and Jordan took off.

"Take Vani with you!" I called out. Breeze ran back in and took the little boy away.

"Are you finished here?"

I turned to see a petite woman in a maid's outfit come into the dining room. I nodded my head and she started removing the plates, glasses, and silverware from the table.

_Let's go somewhere else,_ Dylan suggested.

_There has to be a more private room somewhere in this place,_ I replied.

Dylan and I stood up and left the dining room. I could faintly hear the kids' yelling from somewhere in the giant house.

We wandered around until we found an out-of-the-way room. Inside were plenty of chairs and tables. Each table had its own lamp. Looking around the room, I noticed that it was a library. Books covered three whole walls. The last wall was completely made of glass.

"What's the problem, Dylan?" I asked, propping my feet on a table. We were seated by the glass window. I gently rocked Tyler in my hands.

"It's Ana," Dylan answered. "She's on Jeb's side. From what I picked up from her, he's still evil- which I knew- and she knew we were coming. I'm guessing Jeb told her, though I don't know how he figured it out."

"The Voice," I sighed. Dylan nodded.

"That explains it," he muttered.

"What's she planning?" I asked. We had to be ready.

"I don't know," Dylan admitted. "She pushed me out before I could find the answers."

"We need to leave," I decided. "It's not safe here."

_Especially not if Jeb's evil. And if Ana knows some of what we can do._

"Right," Dylan agreed. He looked around the room quickly. "Though I'll miss this room. I've never seen so many books in one place."

"I'm sure there's a library like this at Fang's place," I said. Dylan's face lit up for the first time since I've known him. It's so hard to get him interested in something. "Let's go."

We walked over to the door. I turned the knob. It was stuck. I turned it the other way. It was still stuck.

"No," I breathed. I turned the knob as hard as I could. "It's locked!"

I silently cursed. We were trapped.

"Ana did it," Dylan whispered, one hand resting on the solid door. "She lied about going to work. She wants revenge."

"Revenge?" I demanded. "Why? I never did anything to her!"

Dylan concentrated for a few minutes. I forced myself to be patient while trying to break down the door. And smash the glass windows. Apparently they weren't really made of glass.

"She wants revenge on your mom," Dylan mumbled, half conscious. "She wanted Jeb but your mom got him. She figured that she could take her revenge by hurting the thing they created together- you."

Dylan removed his hand from the door and looked at me, wide-eyed and terrified.

"She wants you dead," he said. "Or in pain somehow. She hates you because you're the reason Jeb's with Valencia and not her."

I widened my eyes.

"She knows I can take physical pain, thanks to Jeb," I realized. "She's gonna hurt me by hurting what I love most. My family!"

I didn't even mean my blood family. I meant my two Flocks. She was gonna hurt the people that I'd give my life to protect. One of which I'd already given my life to save.

"The kids?" Dylan asked. I nodded. "No! Oh, man!"

I had to come up with a plan. I needed to go save the kids before Ana got to them. The only thing that made me feel better was the fact that this place was so huge. She would have a hard time finding four kids who had trouble staying still.

"Do you have a plan?"

Dylan knew the answer. He didn't need to ask. I had no clue how to get out of this mess. There was no plan. At least, not yet.

I started pacing the room, my claustrophobia escalating. It didn't help that I was worried about the kids' safety, and my old Flock's safety as well.

I refused to set Tyler down. Ana had something up her sleeve and I wouldn't help her with her plan. I grew more and more anxious by the second.

A voice chuckled in my head.

_**Maximum.**_ Another chuckle. _**You are a very foolish girl. I thought we taught you not to trust strangers. Look what it's gotten you into.**_

_She didn't seem dangerous! _I silently cried. _My mom and Sara trust her! You told me to trust her, Jeb!_

_**Jeb had nothing to do with this. I am not Jeb.**_

I made a silent scream. There was no way I could handle another Voice. I could barely handle the one Jeb used. Now someone else was in my head?

_**Maximum, it's about time you rest,**_ the new Voice said.

Alarms went off in my head. I saw flashing, blinding lights and heard screams. Pictures of my two flocks rolled across my eyelids like a movie projection, but in high speed. I saw the Mexican School and replays of parts of the last five years, along with a majority of the first ten years of my life.

Dylan felt the pain in my head. He quickly made a mind-block so he wouldn't be able to read my mind and suffer the same pain. He managed to grab Ty just as I fell to the ground. I let out a blood-curling scream and everything went black.

* * *

_*The Flock*_

"Fang? Fang? Fang!"

Fang blinked.

"Well?" Nudge demanded. "Are we gonna go after her?"

Fang thought for a minute, his eyes traveling from the desk over to Meri and then to Nudge.

_Max… Do you really need saving? Or can you escape on your own? The kids need you, but do you really want to come back? Things are different now… I don't know what you'll think of it… I honestly didn't think you'd survive this long…_

"I… I don't know," Fang said. Nudge's eyes widened in shock.

"We _have_ to, Fang!" she cried, eyes darting towards Meri and back again, an angry look forming on her face for a moment. "What if she's killed because of us? What if…?"

"She won't die," Angel whispered. Fang looked down at the girl. "I _think _they're gonna escape and come here…"

_Thank goodness for that…_

"Ok, we'll make room for her," Fang decided. After a second he added, "Did you say _they?_"

"Uh-huh," Angel confirmed. She smiled, relaxing a bit. "There's six kids with Max."

Meri sighed.

Nudge grinned. "Let's go shopping!"

* * *

**Yay, chapter done! Now, I could give you a hundred and one reasons why I took so long to update, but all I'll say right now is I've been busy. Super busy. That said, I have nothing else to say really. Later on Meri will be explained. Reviews are lovely my readers. Ok... Now I am going to leave you to press the review-button-thing (It changed since I last remember it) and I'm gonna get some much-needed sleep... And now a final thought from a song I love that most of you have never heard before:**

It's funny how its the simple things in life that mean the most  
Not where you live, what you drive, or the price tag on your clothes  
There's no dollar sign on a piece of mind this I`ve come to know  
So if you agree have a drink with me  
Raise you glasses for a toast...

_...chorus goes here but it's not the part of the song I wanted to post..._

I thank god for my life  
And for the stars and stripes  
May freedom forever fly, let it ring  
Salute the ones who died  
And the ones that give their lives, so we don`t have to sacrifice  
All the things we love...

**That's from the song Chicken Fried sung by the Zac Brown Band. On the off chance that you actually know the song, well, good for you! (It's country by the way...) That's all. Hopefully. Have a happy week! -Max**


	6. Capture, Escape, Capture Again, Lumi

**Hola readers! Max here with chapter five! It's on the longish side. Hope y'all enjoy! -Max**

**Disclaimer: Do I look like JP? Well, I'm guessing none of you have ever seen me before, so you might not know what I look like, but beleive me, I DO NOT look like JP. Thus, I am not JP and none of his characters are mine.**

**Claimer: Dylan, Illuminate, Breeze, Jordan, Vanish, Tyler, all of their powers and looks, Ana, Ivan, Sarah, the Mexican School, Meri, etc...**

_***Dylan POV***_

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------line isn't working-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

I watched Max fall to the ground, clutching her head and screaming in pain. I wanted to help her, but I had no clue what to do. Instead, I took Tyler and tried to sooth the baby into sleep.

As I rocked Tyler in my arms, the door burst open. Jeb came in and locked the door behind him. I swallowed nervously and took a step back. Jeb was one of the few people who could scare me.

The older man completely ignored me, both to my relief and dismay. He rushed over to Max, lifted her limp body, and started shaking her.

"I told that woman to wait," Jeb muttered angriy, dropping Max roughly. "I need her answers…"

Jeb sprung up and turned to me.

"Dylan," he breathed, false relief flooding his gruff voice. "I need to talk to you."

I shivered. The last time he said that I ended up in a cage at the Mexican School with tubes running up and down my body and wings grafted onto my body.

"Don't worry, I'm not putting you in a cage right now," Jeb assured me. His eyes traveled from my face to Max's sleeping baby in my arms, widening as he guessed her age.

"She's only a few months old," I offered. Jeb looked at me in an odd way. I read his mind.

_I guess they did it differently then I thought. But with this boy? Fang will be so mad if he finds out! We'd better not let them get to him, then. With Max out of the way the others won't give any resistance…_

"It didn't happen that way," I whispered quickly. "They used needles and some liquids on her and…"

A sharp pain ripped through my head. I cringed. Jeb glared at me.

"Don't _ever _read my thoughts again," he warned, though his voice sounded somewhat relieved. "Now give me the baby."

I froze. Max would kill me if she knew that I let Jeb, of all people, handle Tyler. So, instead of turning the baby over, I shook my head defiantly. Jeb reached down to take Tyler. I growled, much like Max would.

"I got her," I snapped. Jeb looked surprised at my protectiveness and defiance.

"Dylan!"

I spun around quickly. Standing in the doorway were the four kids. Jordan and Vani were being held by Ana. Breeze and Lumi were looking up at me for help.

"Give me the baby," Jeb repeated. "Then grab Max and follow us."

My eyes darted from the kids to Tyler to Max. It was obvious we were trapped. I couldn't think of an escape.

I sighed, defeated.

"The van is waiting, Jeb," Ana said. The man nodded.

"Give me the baby and take Max," he ordered me. I growled again, knowing what would happen if Jeb took Tyler.

"I can carry them both," I argued. I didn't know if that was true or not, but it was the only defense I had.

"Then take them both!" Jeb exclaimed angrily, throwing his hands over his head. I jumped a little, then stumbled over to Max. She was surprisingly light. Jeb and Ana looked surprised that I could handle her weight so easily. Even I was surprised. Of course, I did have super-strength. I just never had to use it before.

"Let's go!" Jeb suddenlt barked. I jumped a little again. Ana dragged my brother and Vani away. Lumi and Breeze shuffled after them. I followed. Jeb stayed right behind me the entire time, a loaded gun trained on my back. I could feel the cold metal through my t-shirt.

We were stuffed into the back of a small truck. Five small cages were lined up against the walls. Flyboys shoved us into the cages. Vani and Ty were taken somewhere else. I didn't know where.

We drove for hours. Max finally woke up. I let out a breath of relief. Being the leader was too hard for me. I didn't do a good job of it, either.

* * *

_***Max POV***_

I woke up with a slight headache. I went to stretch my sore muscles, just to find that I couldn't move. Cool metal pressed up against my skin so hard I'd have large bruises when I got it. I could even feel the freezing bars through my clothes. I didn't need to open my eyes to know what had happened.

"Max?"

I turned my head and cracked my eyes open slightly.

"Why're we here?" I asked softly.

"They got us while you were unconscious," Dylan answered sheepishly.

"You didn't fight," I sighed. The teen nodded. "I told you to always fight."

"But Ana already had the kids," Dylan muttered. "And Jeb was there…"

His voice was shaky. I gave him a sad smile.

"It's ok," I assured him. I knew how much Jeb and this situation scared him. He _had_ been a normal kid before Jeb kidnapped him and altered his DNA, after all. "We'll get out of this."

"No talking," ordered a metallic voice.

Dylan shivered. Somehow the Flyboys heard us even though we were speaking so softly.

_Everyone asleep?_ I asked Dylan.

_As far as I know,_ he answered. _We've been in here for hours. I couldn't sleep._

I evened out my breathing to make it seem like I was still sleeping. It was just then that I noticed that two people were missing.

_Where're my babies?_ I asked angrily.

_I don't know,_ Dylan answered. _They took them._

I groaned. They kept ruining everything.

The truck stopped. Dylan's face took on a look of complete horror as the door opened.

Jeb came in and unlocked my cage. I crawled out, unaware of what was going on. Jeb led me outside.

I saw Ana first. She was holding Tyler, one hand holding Vanish at her side. I growled, clenching and unclenching my fists, my face most likely red. I couldn't always control my temper.

"Listen Max," Jeb ordered. "There is a reason we're doing this. We have a job for you, but I don't think you'll like it."

Ana smiled at me.

"It's not like you can refuse, either," she added.

She was right. They held all my cards.

_That's not true, Max,_ Dylan thought to me. _Use your new speed. I'll get us out of here and into the air._

I kept my face carefully blank, pretending to be defeated, though inside I was screaming with joy. Dylan had the perfect escape plan.

_You can be a good leader when you want to,_ I thought. I heard Dylan chuckle softly. He didn't believe me.

"And this job is…?" I questioned the two older people. Ana looked extremely happy that I was going along. Little did she know I had no intentions of helping them...

Jeb started explaining his "job" to me. I ignored it, listening to the faint sound of metal being bended. Dylan was doing his job, now I had to do mine. I waited until he was on the last cage before I moved.

Ana was talking now. I ignored her. In half a second I had Tyler and Vanish in my hand. In another half second I was twenty or so feet in the air. Jeb and Ana looked astonished.

"Maximum!" Jeb cried. "Get down here!"

"How about, no?" I called, laughing as Dylan, Illuminate, Breeze, and Jordan burst out of the truck. They rose up to my level in seconds. They'd all been given super-speed bt the Whitecoats. I was still the fastest, though.

"Bye, _dad,_" I sneered. We rose higher and I could no longer hear the two adults screaming at us.

There was only one sound in the whole universe that would make me stop my escape at that point. Well, four sounds to be exact. One: A gunshot. Twenty years of hearing them and they still make me freeze in place. Two: A bullet cutting into skin. At one time I wouldn't flinch at that sound, but now I do. Three: A scream. Two screams, actually. One belonging to little Vani and the other belonging to the teenager carrying him. Four: The sound of a body free-falling from mid-air.

I dove down and grabbed Dylan, struggling to stay in the air. Blood was pouring from a bullet hole in his thigh. I had to get to the ground and fix that ASAP. This was a stupid move, but I had to stop.

I sighed and angled down, landing a little ways away from Jeb and the others. The kids landed next to me. I quickly ripped apart a shirt and tied it around Dylan's leg in a feeble attempt to protect the cut.

_**Maximum. You seven WILL COME WITH US NOW. Do it the easy way or the hard way. Your choice.**_

The Flyboys came over to our hiding spot. The kids looked at me, waiting for a command. I groaned inaudibly before muttering, "In the air, NOW!"

No questions were asked. I stood, Dylan and Vani in my arms. Lumi took Tyler. I shivered as Jeb entered my head.

_**Then we'll do it the hard way.**_

The pain was intensified by at least two hundred percent this time. There were no colors or sound. Just pain. I fell to my knees, placing my friend and Vani on the ground, before passing out. Again.

* * *

_***Illuminate POV***_

I watched in horror as the Flyboys came over and grabbed Max and Dylan, flinging the two around carelessly. I heard a couple of Max's and Dylan's bones crushed with the force, cringing after each snap.

"What about the kids?"

I turned my attention to Anne and Jeb. The man looked at us with pity. We looked back in fear. "Let them go. I doubt they can survive long on their own." I shivered. He spoke the truth.

Anne grinned evilly as she and Jeb walked off. The Flyboys followed them away, Max and Dylan with them.

_Now I'm the one in charge,_ I thought, devastated. _I can't be in charge… I'm only ten! What do I do? _

"We should try and find Fang," Breeze offered. I nodded. She always knew what I was thinking and usually had a pretty good answer to any problem.

"Let's do that, then," I agreed. "Um… Grab Max's bag. Maybe she left the address in there."

Luck was on our side. A small piece of paper was folded up inside a pair of jeans. It had Fang's address on it. How Max forgot in her pants I'll never know. She held it tightly ever since she got it.

_Now we just have to figure out how to get to Florida, _I thought grimly. _But how… I don't even know where we are! _

"Let's start walking," I called out, trying to sound brave and sure. I picked up Tyler and took Vani's hand. Breeze did the same with Jordan. We then started making our slow journey, not sure where to go, only that we had to go.

* * *

_***Flock POV***_

"FANG!"

Angel darted into the kitchen, sweat on her small face. "Fang, we hafta leave now! Max and one of the kids got kidnapped! Now the other kids are wandering on their own, trying to find us! If we don't get to them…"

Fang was already moving towards the front door. "Ig! Gazzy! Nudge! Meri!"

The four showed up seconds later, Meri moving slower than the others.

"Fang? What's up?" Iggy wondered nervously, fingers plucking at the hem of his shirt.

"We're going after them now," Angel breathed. "They really need our help."

Fang nodded. "Nudge, I hate to do this to you, but you and Gazzy are going to have to stay here with Meri until we get back. Get rooms set up. We should be back soon."

Angel and Iggy rushed off to pack a backpack. Gazzy and Nudge nodded and hurried off. Fang smiled at Meri weakly.

"We'll be back soon," he promised. Meri nodded sadly. "Come on, don't get all teary. I didn't even know Max was still alive until a few days ago. She's still important to me. I have to bring her back. Besides, I don't know how she feels about me anymore. Nothing's going to change between us just because Max's back."

Meri chuckled, her light red hair bouncing slightly. "That's the longest speech I've ever heard you say. Go save your friend."

Meri hugged Fang tightly and gave him a quick kiss. Fang sighed softly and pushed her away just as Angel and Iggy returned.

----

Meri watched after the three avians ran off, snapping out their beautiful wings and rising into the blue sky. She moaned, wishing she could be as lovely and graceful as they were, then narrowed her eyes, remember they were mistakes. Max was the only success. She'd be perfect too, if it weren't for the human emotions in her.

_I bet Max's even better-looking than Nudge, and she's already been offered two dozen modeling jobs,_ she thought enviously. _From what I've been told, she is. Fang, I am in no way comparable to her. As long as your word holds true…_

Meri twisted the thin golden ring on her finger and turned back to the house, a true smile forming on her face. Fang was _hers_ after all. She shouldn't even consider Max a threat.

_Yes. Fang made a promise to me. In six month's time he'll be mine for good. Part one is almost complete. Jeb should be proud… These five will be retired soon enough. Maybe They will leave Fang alive for me if I asked... No! They're mistakes. Retiring them is the only way to make Max emotionles... Luckily the "Flock" is too stupid to figure out my true identity. This plan is almost too easy..._

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**Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Please review! And now, a notice. Not what you think it is, either. ****In case you haven't realized it yet, there is no Total the flying/talking dog in my story. And there will not be. There was no Total the flying/talking dog in the first story, either. I am not a big fan of Total. He will most likely not be in any of my MR stories. End of notice. ^-^ So... Hit that review button! I'll post again as soon as I can, hopefully by Wednesday! God bless y'all! -Max**


	7. Found, Background, Evil, Baby

**Max here with chapter six! Not the real Maximum Ride Max, for those of who might think so. ^-^ Gracias to my lovely reviewers. I love you guys! :) Onward to victory! Ok, to the story, but whatever. (I feel pretty random right now. I don't know why!) -Max**

**Disclaimer: I do not own JAMES PATTERSON'S MAXIMUM RIDE. Sadly. *tear* Breaks my heart. Nor do I own STEPHENIE MEYER'S TWILIGHT. *another tear* Breaks my heart even more. (You'll see why Twilight's here...)**

**Claimer: Blah blah blah. You know it, right? Blah blah blah.**

**LONGEST CHAPTER YET! 4,500+ WORDS! BOO YAH! Lol.**

* * *

_***Illuminate POV***_

"Luuuuuumiiiiiiii…"

I looked down at Jordan. His face was streaked with tears. Vani was crying, too. He never cried before. At least, I never heard him cry.

_I can't do this… Max, I need you…You're our mom. You're supposed to take care of us. I don't know what to do. I'm only ten..._

"Yah, Jordan?" I asked softly. It was very hard for me to hide the fear in my voice.

"I want Mama and Dylan!"

I closed my eyes and counted to five.

_How would you handle this, Max? It's not like I have motherly instincts or anything... I'm still just a kid._

"Sorry, sweetie, but they aren't here right now," I whispered, trying to be strong and motherly like Max. It was much harder than I thought. "We're gonna go to Fang's house. You remember Mama talking about him, right? He'll take care of us until Max and Dylan get back."

_I hope... We only need to figure out where on Earth we're going..._

Jordan nodded, somewhat satisfied. We continued walking for a little while longer. Finally we were too tired to keep going. At least we were in a small clearing. It was dark, and clouds filled the sky, so I produced light. The kids were grateful to be in the light, safe and together. Sort of.

"We'll stop here tonight, ok?" I said. Jordan and Vani laid on the ground and went right to sleep. I fished around in Max's backpack. She had thought to prepare a few bottles of milk for Tyler incase something bad happened.

_I guess it's a good thing she's always so paranoid. Ty'd be starved if she wasn't..._

I fed Ty and burped her like I'd seen Max do so many times. Soon the baby girl was asleep. I placed her in my lap. She curled up like a kitten would. At least, what the kitten experiments at the School would. I wasn't sure if normal kittens were the same.

_Maybe one day I'll get to have a real kitten... Fluffy and black. Or maybe calico. It can sleep with me! _

"You go to sleep, too, Bree," I ordered. "I'll take watch."

Bree nodded and fell asleep automatically, thankful. She didn't want to stay up any longer. She didn't have the energy.

_Poor kid... If only they didn't change her, any of us, we'd have real lives... Be nice and safe and warm in a real home somewhere with real parents and real siblings and real pets..._

I closed my eyes, sighing, leaning up against a tall tree. I wanted desperately to sleep, but I had to take watch. And what was I supposed to watch for? I didn't know. I just knew I had to watch. At least I had time to think and form a plan.

_Now how do I form a plan...?_

_**

* * *

**_

*Fang POV*

Angel led the way, knowing exactly where to find the kids. She told me they had stopped for the night, so there was no way we'd miss them.

"South-west," Angel called out. "Twenty-two degrees."

The three of us angled our winds slightly, changing course a little bit. Angel continued calling out directions for another hour.

"Turn north-east six degrees and angle down," Angel ordered a bit later. Iggy and I obliged, my eyes raking the woods beneath us.

I spotted a group of small children right away. There were five of them, ranging from infant to around Angel's age. They were very skinny. Each child had small wings wrapped around their tiny bodies. The oldest kid, obviously a girl, had the infant in her lap.

"I smell the mix of human and bird," Iggy stated. "Is it who we're looking for?"

"That's them," Angel confirmed. "The children are right below. Keep going, Ig."

We landed a few yards away from the kids. I didn't want them to be spooked before we introduced ourselves. They all looked to be asleep, though. Innocent, little children, forced into life not made for them.

_It's not fair,_ I thought angrily. _How could They keep doing this? Ruining children's lives… Stealing babies from their parents? This needs to end._

_That's Max's job,_ Angel reminded me. _For now let's just get these kids to our home. They seriously need food and rest._

I nodded and took a step. A voice rang out from the small group. Her voice, so soft, feminine, and bell-like, rang out with hidden terror, hate, and protectiveness. It pierced the silent woods like a knife.

_So much like Max…_

"Friend or foe?"

* * *

_***Illuminate POV***_

I heard them in the air. I evened my breathing, a trick I'd picked up from Max. Maybe they'd leave us alone if they thought we were dead. Or asleep, at least. That's what new Whitecoats did. Were whoever- or whatever- coming as clueless as new Whitecoats?

_Silly girl,_ I thought. _Nothing's as clueless as new Whitecaots. Obviously these... things knew we are here. They can't be stupid._

I was right, sadly. There was no way these creatures were clueless. They landed, speaking softly. There were three of them, two male and one female. One of the males took a step. It was then that I spoke up.

"Friend or foe?"

My voice was harsh. I was trying to warn them to leave. I'd fight to my death trying to protect these kids if I had to.

_That was so dumb! Give away the element of suprise, why dont'cha? Ugh! Max would never do that! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_

The male paused mid-step.

"Friend."

I stood. Tyler instantly woke. She looked up at me with wide eyes, knowing exactly what was happening. She's that smart.

"Who are you?" I demanded. My voice was low. I didn't want the kids to wake up.

_Ok, so I'm putting my life at risk now, about to face off with complete and total strangers. Genious. Real smart, Lumi._

I stepped out into the open, facing the three new people. The boy who had moved towards us was the biggest. He had black hair like Vani. His clothes were all black. The other male had reddish hair and was way tall. His sightless eyes were looking at me. He wore blue jeans, a t-shirt, and a wind-breaker tied around his neck. The female was small, a little taller than me. She had on a pale blue dress that went perfectly with her shining blue eyes.

_The descriptions fit perfectly, but it could all be a lie..._

"I'm Fang," the boy called out. "This is Iggy and Angel. We're Max's friends."

_It could be a trick, Lumi, _I thought._ Don't let him trick you..._

"It's no trick," the girl called out gently. "I really am Angel. Max's Angel. And I'm so glad we found you!"

I grinned, knowing the words were true. We had been saved! Finally!

_**Fang? Momma's Fang?** _

I felt Tyler's small voice in my head. One of her abilities is to transmit thoughts, through touch. Memories, too. Sometimes she could do it at a distance, but not for long.

I nodded slightly in answer to the question. Ty cooed. I smiled softly.

"I'm Illuminate," I called out. "Lumi for short. This is Tyler. Or Ty. Come on over here."

Fang, Iggy, and Angel followed me to the other three kids carefully. I woke them up.

"Look, it's Fang," I whispered into their ears. They shot up as soon as I said that. Max always said he'd save us some day...

"This is Jordan, Vanish or Vani, and Breeze or Bree," I said. "Guys, these are Fang, Angel, and Iggy."

"Where are Max and the other one?" Iggy wondered.

"They got taken," Jordan said sadly. "I want Momma and my brother back."

I looked down at Jordan in shock. He never admitted so much before to a stranger. Well, I guess they weren't really strangers, but...

"Don't worry," Angel cooed, hugging the boy. "We'll find them for you."

Jordan grinned. He believed her completely. Even I wanted to trust her.

_But can they really defeat Itex and save Max and Dylan? I doubt it..._

"Can you guys fly for a little bit?" Fang asked us. "We have a car. It's only about fifteen minutes from here."

I nodded. "Bree and I can. If you can carry Jordan and Vani we don't hafta walk."

Iggy took Jordan and Fang took Vanish. We jumped into the air, flying east. In twenty minutes we were at the car.

"It took a little longer 'cuz we don't fly good yet," Breeze said matter-of-factly.

"That's alright," Angel breathed. "Everyone get in."

The car was literally a bus. Well, a mini-bus to be exact. We all had our own seats. Fang drove. Tyler slept on my lap.

"Go ahead and nap if you want," Iggy told us. "It'll be quite a few hours before we reach the house."

Knowing we were almost finally truly safe- Max wasn't with us so we weren't totally safe yet- I closed my eyes and let myself fall into dreamless sleep. I knew the others were doing the same all around me.

* * *

_***Max POV***_

"Don't touch me."

I blinked, opening my eyes. I wasn't trapped in a cage. It was amazing. I stretched my muscles and looked for the sound of the voice.

I was in a small room. A window let me see into the next room. Dylan was tied to a chair, eyes squeezed shut. Jeb was finishing tying the ropes on his hands. He left the room. A voice came on over a hidden speaker.

"I just want to talk, Dylan."

The teen shook a little, eyes opening.

"Last time you said that I ended up almost dead with wings sewn onto my bodythanks to _you and Miss Merideth_," he stated, voice cracking. "I don't want to talk to you again. _Ever_."

This was news to me.

_Poor Dylan. He had a normal life before. Why, Jeb, why? He's was just an innocent child... This has definately got to end._

**_You were created to end it,_** Voice/Jeb told me. **_And you failed. Let's just say this is your punishment._** The Voice chuckled. I'm still not sure if that was even possible. The Voice, chuckling? Showing any emmotion? No way. Not possible...

The voice, Jeb, ignored Dylan. "That man you lived with? You kept saying he wasn't your father. You told all your friends he was just your mom's boyfriend. Well, guess what. He _was _you real biological father. I know you knew that, though you didn't want it to be true. You wanted to know how anyone related to you could hurt you so badly..."

"Stop," Dylan pleaded. I could easily hear the pain in his voice. I looked for a way to free him.

"Remember how he always went out and got drunk?" Jeb asked. "And how he'd beat you when he got home? Do you remember your mom?"

"Please don't…,"

"She was always high," Jeb continued. "They never cared for you or your brother. They obviously didn't care for Lia."

Grief and even more pain took over Dylan's face. I frantically searched for a way to get to him. I'd never seen him so upset before.

"It's your fault she's dead," Dylan whispered sadly, a hint of anger in his voice. "You're the one who came to the house and told _that man_ about her boyfriend."

"I needed to get her out of the way," Jeb said carelessly. "She was the only thing keeping us from having you. Besides, your dad was only too happy to oblige. He was a bit harsh in killing her, I do admit. He really wanted the money." Chuckle. "Do you remember how much we gave him for you both?"

A few tears fell down Dylan's face. I growled and threw a punch at the window. It shattered with the force. I jumped through and ran to Dylan, who was very surprised to see me.

"'A hundred dollars for the boy and fifty for they baby'," Jeb quoted. "Isn't that what we decided? And then, as an after-thought, your dad added, 'Throw in a case of beer.' He gave you up for a little money and some beer!" Jeb chuckled again.

I could feel Dylan getting madder and more upset with every word. That was bad. Beyond bad. Terrible. Horrible. I actually don't think there's a word to describe it.

"Dylan, calm down," I whispered, untying the ropes. "Don't listen to him. Don't get mad. You know what happens when you do..."

The teen looked down, embarrased at the memory, taking deep breaths in order to calm himself. See, Dylan gets a 'power' when he's super angry or super upset. I knew that's what Jeb wanted to see. I almost cringed at the thought of Dylan 'exploding' again. The first and last time it happened I couldn't move for two weeks. Almost all of my bones were broken, and I was bleeding non-stop.

But more about that later.

"And when we came for you, you turned on your father," Jeb continued. "You'd never done a single bad thing in your life until that night. When I got inside and saw you with that gun, I didn't think you even knew how to hold it. I was way off. You shot your dad. Almost a dozen times."

_Make him stop, Max,_ Dylan silently begged. I could tell he didn't want to remember this.

_Put your hands over your ears,_ I instructed. _Think of something else. Talk out loud or something._

_**This is not for you to stop, Maximum, **_Voice/Jeb thought/said to me. I was starting to get a headache from all the voices in my head.

_He already knows what he did, leave him alone, _I commanded Jeb. I moved to untie Dylan's legs.

_**You need to listen to me,**_ Voice/Jeb thought/said. _**Dylan needs to hear this. I won't let you stop him from hearing it. It's only an experiment. We're trying to get another power to work. **_

_I won't let you hurt him! _I cried silently. Dylan flinched at the harshness in my thought-voice. _He's not..._ We're not _some toys for you to play with! We're still part_ human_! Just leave us alone already!_

**_You should learn to quit while you're ahead, Maximum,_** Jeb thought as a sharp pain hit my head. I cursed Jeb before going unconscious yet again.

* * *

_***Angel POV***_

We pulled into our long driveway and drove up to the house. It was well-hidden, almost five miles into the thick forest. I loved the location. It was far from any city, town, or house. It had a lake, a giant garage, a stable (Nudge and I had convinced Fang to let us get some horses!), and quite a few tree houses. And then there's the actual house. It was ginormous. Nudge and I had chosen its look. The boys had built it. The house had four floors. The outside was made entirely of white marble and glass. The house was a larger version of our newest friends' home. We'd met them three years after Max left. They weren't human, like us, but they had once been. The Cullens were so nice when we stumbled into Forks. Doctor Cullen fixed us up after some Werewolves attacked us. Can you believe we were attacked by something that wasn't from the School? But that's a whole another story…

Ok, back to the present. Fang parked the bus in the garage. I woke the kids up. They all sprung up, tense, and inched away from me until they remembered where they were.

"Is this you house?" the little girl named Breeze asked. I giggled.

"No, this is the garage," I answered. "It's where we keep our cars."

The little boy named Jordan suddenly broke into teats. The oldest girl, Illuminate, hurried over to him, baby Tyler in her arms.

_Cars…? I want my brother! _Jordan was thinking. _Dylan! He likes cars! No…_

_Oh, Jordan, calm down,_ Lumi thought frantically. _Why'd she have to say 'garage'? Oh, man! How'd Max used to get him to calm down..? Oh, I remember!_

"Shhh," Lumi cooed. "It'll be ok. We'll get your brother back." _Max too, _she added in thought.

Jordan sniffled, nodded, and looked up at me shyly. "Sorry…" I grinned.

"There's nothing wrong with crying, Jordan," I whispered, petting his head. "Everyone does it."

"Let's go inside, kids," Iggy called out. We all followed him out. The kids oohed and ahed their way through the house.

"Anyone hungry?"

Fang grinned as Meri came out of the kitchen, a light yellow cooking apron tied around her waist, wiping her hands on a towel.

_Max's picture-perfect mom..._ I narrowed my eyes and looked down.

_Look at all of them…,_Meri thought._ What was Jeb thinking making so many of them? Didn't they realize the first one was a mistake? Foolish... What a waste. The more there are, the harder to get rid of them. I hope he realizes that._

I gritted my teeth. She was pure evil. Stupid, too. She didn't know I could read her mind.

"Fang!" the witch called out with false cheerfullness. They kissed. I almost gagged at Meri's fakeness. I'd tried telling Fang who she really was once, but he didn't believe me. Gazzy's the only one who did, at first. It took some convincing, but Iggy and Raz finally believed me, too.

"Angel!"

I turned and was tackled by both Nudge and Gazzy. I hugged them both.

_She didn't try to kill us,_ Gazzy thought to me. _She spent a lot of time on her cell phone and laptop, though._

_Thanks, Gazzy,_ I thought back. My brother nodded.

"Let's get something to eat," Iggy said. We had decided to play dumb, at least until we could find a way to expose the traitor. "Meri, did you follow my recipes?"

"Word for word," Meri replied. I rolled my eyes. How fake...

We led the kids to the dining room. Their extreme joy was unexpected

"Look at all the food!" little Jordan exclaimed.

"Dig in, guys!" Fang called out.

* * *

_***Illuminate POV***_

The food was delicious. I'd never had any of it before. There was chicken, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, green beans, fruit, turkey, stuffing, and lots of other stuff, most of which I didn't know but ate anywat. We ate so much we were full! It was amazing.

Angel took us outside after we ate. Bree and Jordan jumped into the air and started flying. Vani climbed up a tree and nestled into the branches, disappearing from sight within minutes. I knew he was napping. Angel and I sat by a small lake, Ty on my lap. I stared out over the lake for a while before Angel spoke.

"How old is she?" Angel asked, motioning to the baby.

"Only a couple months old," I answered softly.

"Too young to be separated from her mom," Angel noted. "Max, right?"

I looked up at her in shock. "How'd you know?"

"I can read people's minds," Angel informed me, tapping one finger against her skull. "Like Dylan can."

Neat. So she knew everything, then. That's good.

_That's howcome I could trust her so easily, _I realized. _She knew my thoughts. Even though I didn't know this at the time, I sensed it. Sweet! I think I just got a new power! Or did I already have it, only know realising it? Hmmm..._

"I can't read the baby's mind, though," Angel said suddenly. "I'm not sure why. It's probably because Max can make mind-blocks."

_I wanna talk to her, _Tyler told me. I nodded.

"Here, Ty wanted to talk with you," I said, passing the baby girl to Angel.

"She can talk?"

"Not exactly. She talks through touch."

"Ah," Angel breathed. "Like little Renesme."

"Renesme?" I questioned.

"Oh, you'll meet her in a few days," Angel said. She closed her eyes as Tyler started speaking to her.

I turned my head. In the sky were five flying kids. Nudge, Iggy, and Gazzy (the Gasman- What a funny name!) were teaching Jordan and Breeze tricks. Across the lake Meri and Fang were walking slowly, holding hands. I sighed, feeling bad for Max. I knew how much she loved him.

Angel's eyes were narrowed, now following Meri's movements. I could tell she didn't like the older girl.

"You don't like Meri much," I noted. Angel nodded.

"She works for Jeb," she explained. I nodded, suddenly remembering Meri from my childhood.

"I know," I growled. "She used to work at the School. She's pure evil."

_Dylan will kill her when he gets here..._

* * *

_***Max POV***_

I woke to a beeping noise. Cool metal pressed against my back, arms, legs, and middle. I was in a white hospital-like room. I was hooked up to an IV and various monitors.

"Good afternoon, Maximum."

I growled weakly. Jeb came and stood over me, a smile on his face.

"Look up at the screen, Maximum," Jeb ordered. "You'll see something interesting up there."

I looked up. Right away I knew what I was looking at on the TV. It was my stomach, or better yet, the inside of my stomach. There was a small _thing_ in there. It was tiny, though obviously having been magnified in order to be seen, and had two tiny feathers sticking out of it's back. I gasped, then groaned.

"Why do you keep doing this to me…?"

"They grow so fast," Jeb said. "This is only after a few days. It should be fully grown in a month or so."

_Great. I'm pregnant. Again. I don't think they'll make the mistake of letting me escape for a second time, though. I think they really _really_ want this baby…_

"This baby, Maximum, is the reason for you being alive," Jeb told me. "This baby will do what you couldn't: Save the world."

I was right.

* * *

**I think this might turn out to be a bit of a Maximum Ride/Twilight crossover... For the next few chapters anyway. Maybe. If that's ok with y'all. Otherwise I'll change it so that there's no more Twilight. I just started writing the next few chapters and somehow the Cullens got involved... I don't even know what I'm writing half the time! Ok, so tell me what you think please! Feel free to review! I love hearing from y'all! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's rather long, dont'cha think? Now I feel like Nudge... Sorry! Incase I don't post again within the next few days: Merry Christmas! Happy Hannakah! Happy Kwanza! Happy New Year! Happy holidays! Happy Boxing Day! Happy... Winter break! No school! Yah... That should be all. Oh, and I hope it wasn't too confusing with all the POV changes... I just had to do that so the different scences will be seen. :) Ok, that's definately it. Reviews, por favor! And ask questions if you're confused! Good night/day/afternoon and God bless! -Max**


	8. Evil Meri, Cullens, The School

****

Hey y'all! Sorry I took so long to post this! Thanks to my lovely reviewers, I truly appriciate it! Now, about this chapter. Many POV changes. Hopefully it doesn't get too confusing. Also, I decided to use the Cullens in my story. I think that's all! Read on! -Max

**Disclaimer: If I actually owned the rights to Maximum Ride or Twilight then: One; I'd be rich. And two; I'd either be a grown man (which I'm not, trust me!) or a grown woman (also which I'm not, I'm still a teen!). Get the hint?**

**Claimer: If it's not JP's or SM's, it's mine! ^-^**

* * *

**_*Fang POV*_**

"When are we going after Max?"

I looked down at Angel. I didn't have an answer for that. My only answer was, "I don't know."

"I bet she'll escape and make her way here by herself," Meri offered. I nodded.

"Most likely," I agreed.

Angel got this really mad look Max used to have when she was extremely annoyed or mad at something I'd said or done. Her blue eyes were narrowed and she looked deadly.

"We _need _to go _save _her _now_," she cried. "Max _won't escape _from the School on her own this time! Strong, _deadly _experiments are _guarding _her! And she's too _weak_ to leave without help! _Our help! _If you don't want to save her, fine! But me and Gazzy are gonna go get her!"

I sighed. "Ange, come with me." I led the girl away from the others and down to the library. I really needed to talk to her.

"I know you don't like Meri," I started. Angel snorted, rolling her eyes. _How much more like Max could she get? Especially considering it's been so long since Max lived with us… _I continued. "And I know you miss Max. She'll be fine, though. You know that and I know that. Don't worry about her."

I reached out to place my hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged away from me angrily.

"You're wrong!" she cried, storming out. I sighed and went back the living room. Meri and Nudge were sitting and watching some chick flick, giggling and making strange girly noises at certain parts. I heard Angel upstairs talking to the new kids. Raz, Iggy, and Gazzy were nowhere to be seen.

I sat next to Meri. She snuggled up close to me. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pretended to watch the flat screen TV. My thoughts wandered to Max, though I tried not to think about her, especially when I was sitting next to my fiancé.

_Max… You'd better get here soon. These are your kids here. I don't know anything about them. And I don't know what to do about Angel. She keeps saying we need to save you, but from what? What could possibly be strong enough to keep you, of all people, locked up? I think she might just be lying, though. I know how much she misses you…_

* * *

_***Angel POV***_

_How dare Fang not believe me! AGH! I wish Tyler had seen Meri at the School. Then he'd have no choice but to believe. Her gift comes in so handy sometimes…_

"Lumi, I'm going to the School to get Max," I announced. Lumi and I were sitting in my room, me on the bed and she at my desk, drawing.

"I thought so," she replied, nodding. "I'm coming too. I can show you where to go."

Illuminate packed a small backpack with a change of clothes, diapers, and a dozen filled baby bottles. I shook my head, a smile on my face. That girl was closer to being a mom at ten then I was at twelve.

"Angel?"

I turned to the door. Gazzy stood there, grinning from ear to ear. I rolled my eyes at him.

"How many bombs do you have?" I asked. My voice sounded a little excited. We were finally getting revenge on the School!

"Couple dozen," my brother answered innocently. I rolled my eyes again. "Iggy has almost a hundred." That surprised me a little. They had enough recourses to build that many bombs? And without Fang finding out? Impressive.

"Is Raz coming with us?" Lumi questioned.

"Yeah," Gazzy answered. "He's got fifty bombs too."

"I hafta talk to Bree before we go," Lumi announced. She handed me Tyler and ran off.

I sat on a small couch in Lumi's bedroom. Gazzy joined me and flipped on the TV. Iggy joined us a little while later. Lumi came back, another much larger backpack filled with food. Raz came last.

"Fang's coming up to make sure everyone goes to bed," he informed us a few hours later. We nodded and hurried into our separate rooms. I climbed up onto my canopy bed and hid in the covers, my back to the door. I evened my breathing out so it looked like I was asleep. We had planned to leave after everyone else were sleeping.

Almost an hour later Iggy entered my room. I climbed out of bed fully dressed and followed him down the hall to Lumi's room. Everyone else was there. We silently climbed onto the windowsill and jumped into the sky, our wings snapping open instantly.

We flew fast for an hour just to get away from the house incase Fang, Nudge, one of the kids, or Meri somehow heard our departure. None of them did. I was please with our escape.

"I think it'll take about two days to get their," Lumi called out. She looked calm and angelic. I smiled. That's how Max always thought of me. Angelic.

"Where's this School?" Iggy wondered.

"They're in our old School," I answered. "It was rebuilt."

"Great," Iggy muttered sarcastically.

_Here we come, Max,_ I thought. _Hang in there._

* * *

_***Max POV***_

I was back in a cage. You'd think the Whitecoats would go easy on me, considering I was _pregnant._ Again. But no. Why would they do that?

Dylan was crying silently across from me. Jeb wouldn't leave the poor boy alone. I hadn't seen him cry so much since he first showed up here with wings five years ago. It made me nervous and worried.

Neither of us spoke. I just thought, retreating inside myself. Everything was antisepticy here. Claustrophobia was driving me crazy. I was ready to murder the next person to look at me. You'll never truly understand the feeling unless you've been through what I have, and I really doubt you ever have.

I watched as two experiments, the Whitecoat's newest creation which they called Zetas, came and took Dylan away. He didn't even bother trying to fight back. The Zetas were too strong for even me to fight, and that's saying something.

Dylan came back sometime later, looking confused. He was shoved into his cage. The Zetas left.

"That was… odd," Dylan finally commented. He frowned.

"What'd you do?" I wondered. Dylan shook his head.

"I took some intelligence test," he answered. "But it was easy. Too easy. Like it was made for three-year-olds."

"That is odd," I agreed. "Why would they give you such a simple test, though? Your IQ is off the charts."

"That is what I don't get," Dylan said.

I nodded. I've seen him take tests made for the world's smartest people in just a few minutes. He's solved impossible math problems with a single glance at the problem. So why would they give him an easy test? It made no sense.

We were silent for awhile. Neither of us slept. We just sat in our respective cages and thought.

Dylan finally ended the silence when he gasped. His eyes widened and a look of fear crossed his face. I narrowed my eyes. What did the Whitecoats have in store now?

_No…_ Dylan thought to me, anguished. _They have brought the Immortals here._

_You know, you never really did tell me about them,_ I reminded him. _Might as well know what I'm up against here._

_They are extremely strong, _Dylan told me. _And fast. When I fought them I could not even scratch them. The white-dressed ones are siblings. Same as the black-dressed ones. The older two fight the same way you do, using pure strength and speed. The younger two use their minds to fight and control others, up to a point. They are not as strong as I am when it comes to telepathy, though. As far as I can tell they have no weakness, do not need sleep, and do not need to eat._

I sighed. _Great. They finally have created something even I might not be able to beat._ I closed my eyes, leaning against the metal bars of my prison. _Is there no hope?_

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_***Fang POV***_

Angel leaving really annoyed me. She took everyone from my Flock with her, save Nudge, Lumi, and the baby, too. I couldn't even leave to go after her! Meri refused to let me go alone, and I couldn't leave the little kids by themselves. This whole deal was driving me crazy.

I sat in my office, head resting on my hands. Meri was rubbing my shoulders, trying to relax me. It didn't work at all. It only made me more tense.

_Meri, evil? Not possible. We're _engaged_, for crying out loud! Angel has everything wrong. I hope…_

"Don't worry, Fang," Meri whispered. "I know for a fact it'll work out fine. Jeb told me so himself."

My eyes shot open. Meri froze, realizing her mistake.

"Did you just say Jeb told you?" I demanded slowly, unsurely.

"I did, didn't I?" Meri chuckled. Before I could move I was trapped, thick metal cuffs keeping me locked to the chair. "Sorry about this, _dear._ We only need to exterminate the others. You can stay alive. They'll let me keep you as a pet. Your Max won't die, either. Yet. Her body is still very useful for science."

"How could you?" I muttered. "I can't believe I believed _you _over _Angel._"

_Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Angel can read minds, and I believed this human over her! Ugh, Max will kill me when she finds out… I need to get away and get to the others! Before it's too late!_

Meri left the room. She came back a few minutes later with the other kids. "Bye, Fang. I'll come back for you in a few days!" She left, blowing me a kiss, and locked the door. I groaned silently.

"Fang?" The voice belonged to the girl Breeze. She was calm. _Max trained you well… _"What do we do now?"

I thought quickly. We had no way of escaping. The windows in here were too small to break through. My cell phone was in the top drawer of my desk, but who could help us out of this situation…?

"Bree, get my phone," I ordered as a name came to my head. "Top drawer."

Breeze looked at me for a second, thinking, then nodded. She stepped over to the desk and opened the drawer, pulling out the black phone.

"Go into the phone book… Yeah, that's it. Hit the down button until I say stop… Ok, stop. Hit the green button. Thanks. Now hit the speaker button."

I waited for someone to pick up on other line. It rang for ten whole seconds before a velvety voice answered. Relief flooded through me.

"Cullen residence, Carlisle speaking."

"Carlisle, it's Fang." I spoke quickly incase Meri was still around. "We need your help. My fiancé turned out to be working for Itex, the company I told you about. She trapped us in my study. Angel, Iggy, Raz, Gazzy, and two new avians- I'll tell you about them later- went to rescue Max and another kid. I need to get to them before Itex does. Itex is planning on killing us."

"Ok, we will be over in a few minutes," Carlisle informed me. He spoke softly and rapidly for a few seconds. "We are on our way."

The phone clicked off. I let out a breath of relief. I hated having to call _anyone_ and ask for help, but it was inevitable. The good thing about the Cullens were that they were super-strong. Vampires couldn't be defeated by Erasers, Flyboys, or anything else the sadistic scientists invented. They were the perfect allies for us.

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_***Bella POV***_

I'm so glad Fang called us. I mean, his situation stinks, but no we have something exciting to do. I love being a vampire and all, but sometimes it can get a bit boring. Finding new things to do gets extremely hard after a while.

The Flock didn't leave too far terribly far from us. It only took about ten minutes for us to get to Colorado. Edward and I were first, of course, me being a newborn and Edward being the fastest Cullen and all.

"I only smell their human-bird mix," I told Edward. "I think Meri left."

"She did," Edward confirmed. "Let's go in."

We hurried inside the building, going straight to Fang's office. I pulled open the door, forgetting it was locked. The whole door came off the wall. If I were still human I would have blushed.

Edward freed Fang from the metal bands holding him down. I asked the strange kids and Nudge if they were ok. They all were.

"Who are you?" one of the two boys wondered. He looked up at me innocently, terror in his light brown eyes. "You're not from the School, are you?"

"That's Bella," Fang announced. "She's a friend. So's Edward here. Bella, Edward, these are Breeze, Jordan, and Vanish. They're avian-hybrids, too."

Fang started moving through the house after that, packing backpacks. He told us his plan as he packed.

"If it's possible, I'd like one or two of you to stay here with these kids," he said. "That way I don't have to worry about them, too. And, if you don't mind, I'd like a couple of you at least to come with me to the School. That's where the others are heading now. Max and this kid Dylan are being held there. We have to get them out."

"Rosalie and I will stay," Esme called out. Her voice was quiet. Fang's hearing was great enough that we didn't have to speak at human levels in order for him to hear. It was safer if we stayed quiet. "Everyone else will go with you. We will take the kids back to our home."

"I'll stay, too," Nudge added. "I really want to see Max again, but I think I'll stay with the kids to make sure they're safe." She turned to us. "But I don't mean you're not safe! I just want them to feel safe and not…"

"Nudge!" Emmet and I cried. Nudge blushed and looked down.

"Are you sure?" Fang questioned. Us Cullens nodded. "That's really good. Will you be able to see me in the air?"

"Easily," Emmet answered, grinning wide. He wanted a fight, I could tell. "It's hard to miss you."

Fang rolled his eyes. "Let's go, then." He quickly told his plan to the kids. We left, Fang in the air and the rest of us running over land.

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_***Dylan POV***_

Max didn't know this, but I had another power. I know, big surprise, right? Well, this power lets me see the future. Sort of. I can never see it when I want to. And I can only see things that affect me or someone I'm close to. I haven't exactly figured it out yet.

When my latest future-sight came to me, Max and I were in the middle of a discussion. I felt my eyes glaze over as a moving picture and sound blocked my sight and hearing.

_A dark, black-clothed winged boy and five perfect, stone-looking people were racing towards the School. The building was maybe a thousand yards away. A few winged-children rose up and met the flying boy. The hovered mid-air for a few minutes, talking. The marble-people on land stopped running. The flying-children landed. Sound came._

"_That's the building?" the biggest of the marble people asked._

"_That's it," the dark winged-boy answered._

"_Let's break in, then," the red-headed flying-child said._

"_We don't know where Max and Dylan are being held," an angelic winged-girl said sadly. "I can't find Max's mind anywhere, and I think Dylan's mind is blocked."_

"_Same here," the bronze-haired marble-person said. He sounded annoyed. Turning to the girl at his side, he added with a smirk, "Sounds a lot like you."_

_The marble-girl rolled her eyes. "So we have no idea where they are. That would be too easy, right?"_

_The dark winged-boy nodded. "Let's just break in and start looking around. Hopefully we're not too late…"_

My vision ended there. I was very relieved, though. One of the winged-kids in the vision was Lumi. Another was Max's baby, Tyler. From what I learned from Max's memories, the dark winged boy was Fang. The red-head was Iggy and the angelic one was Angel. The other flying-kid would be Gazzy. I didn't know who any of the marble-people were, but I was glad they were here. The Flock would need as much held as possible in escaping.

_Max,_ I thought._ Good news. Fang's here. He has lotsa help. They're gonna free us._

Max smiled at me sadly. She refused to believe she'd be free anytime soon. I almost didn't blame her. After all we've been through, it only made sense not to count on being free.

_I don't think I'll be getting out anytime soon,_ Max thought. _They want this baby even more than Tyler._

I knew the School would put up a fight, but I doubted we'd lose to them. Fang's friends looked strong. There was no way they would lose… Right?

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_***Fang POV***_

We were at the School. The worst place on Earth. I wasn't even inside the building and memories were already coming back to me. I'd almost forgotten how bad this place was. My need to free Max grew even stronger.

Edward's face grew more and more pained as we neared the School. Not only was he seeing all of our memories, he was seeing into the minds of most of the experiments at the building. I could tell he was shocked- and horrified- of what happens in this building.

"That's the place?" Emmet asked.

"That's it," I answered. _The building of torture and worse…_

"Let's break in, then," Iggy said. He sounded excited. No doubt he had tons of bombs on him. I knew how badly he wanted revenge on this place. As far as I knew, he wanted it worse than anyone.

"We don't know where Max and Dylan are being held," Angel whispered sadly. "I can't find Max's mind anywhere, and I think Dylan's mind is blocked."

"Same here," Edward agreed. He sounded annoyed. Turning to Bella, he said with a small smirk, "Sounds a lot like you."

Bella rolled her eyes. "So we have no idea where they are. That would be too easy, right?"

I nodded. "Let's just break in and start looking around. Hopefully we're not too late…"

_I've been saying that a lot lately... Max, we're here for you now… Don't give up on me yet…_

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**Yay, the Flock is almost to Max! Will they succeed in saving her? Or will everyone be captured? Can Max fight off the Immortals and the Zetas? Or is she not as strong as they are? Will the Cullens secret be exposed when they enter the School? So many questions yet to be answered! You'll just have to wait and see! ^-^ If you have any questions concerning the Flock, the Cullens, or anyone/anything else in the story, please let me know! Oh, and please review! I love hearing from y'all! God bless! -Max**


	9. The Rescue

**Hey there! I'm so sorry for not updating in so long! And I'm even more sorry this chapter is so short! My excuse is that I don't like the way the next part is supposed to go. I keep deleating what I write 'cuz I don't like it. Anways, enjoy! -Max**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride or Twilight...**

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_*Fang POV*_

Getting into the School was the easy part. Iggy set a new record for himself in lock-picking: 16.5 seconds. I was somewhat surprised he could pick a lock that fast after all these years. We'd been safe for about six years now.

Anyway, back to the School. Like I said, getting in was easy. Finding Max was another story. I had no clue where she was or what room she was in.

No one else did, either.

A new version of Flyboys attacked us after we turned down a few halls. Emmet and Bella stayed back to fight them, since they were the strongest of the Cullens. The rest of us continued racing down hallways. Eventually sirens went off, announcing our uninvited arrival.

We opened every door we passed. As a doctor, Carlisle was both interested and disgusted with the experiments taking place. Edward and Alice were extremely angry that humans could do this to fellow humans. Jasper concentrated on keeping us all calm, though it was obvious that the stench of blood and all of the experiment's emotions were driving him crazy.

After a few minutes of searching we found Dylan and Max. They were both locked in small cages, bruised and bloody. Dylan gave us a weak smile. I don't think Max even knew we were there. She was so out of it, poor girl.

Edward and Carlisle bent the cage bars so they could get out. Dylan stood, faltering for a moment. Alice steadied him. I shook Max gently, whispering in her ear.

"Max, I'm here for you. Wake up."

Max blinked. I breathed a sigh of relief. Her brain didn't register me, though. Instead, her eyes rolled up so the whites were showing and she went limp. I cursed.

"Carlisle…," I muttered. He would know what to do.

Hopefully.

"Let's get her back to my home," Carlisle replied. "I'll examine her there."

We hurried out, Max in my arms. Dylan was moving too slowly, so Alice carried him. He passed out soon after she picked him up.

Bella and Emmet joined us as we passed them. They stayed in front to defend us. Edward and Jasper took the back.

"Leave them here and you can go free!"

I growled at the voice coming over the loudspeakers. Did Jeb really think we'd leave Max and Dylan after coming so far to rescue them? Really. How dumb could someone be? Especially after all these years…

"Fang, _dear_, you're breaking your promise to me." I growled again. Meri was getting on my nerves.

"The promise is off!" I cried, throwing a little gold ring to the ground. We continued running, the exit in sight.

We made it outside in seconds. Sadly, hundreds of those improved Flyboys were waiting for us, guns aimed and loaded. Us part-humans froze. The Cullens stopped, seeing the guns. They knew we weren't bullet proof, unlike them.

"You weren't kidding," Emmet mumbled almost too low for even me to hear, shaking his head.

"Agh!"

I spun around, hearing Angel's scream. Her eyes were wide, tears forming quickly. She looked terrified.

"Ange, what is it?" I asked softly.

"I don't… know," she whispered as tears fell down her angelic face. "There's these things… They're called Immortals, I think. They're like vampires… Except they have heartbeats and blood in them… Fang, there's only four of them, but I think they can kill us all, including the Cullens."

I took a deep breath. The Immortals were definitely going to be a problem. We had to get away, though. Before we worried about anything else, we had to get away.

Dylan woke up and asked Alice to set him down. He looked angry, hurt, and determined. There was no fear on his face. I wondered why.

I looked down at Max while everyone got ready for a fight. Her eyes fluttered and she looked up at me blankly, like she knew we were about to lose and there was no hope.

"Just… leave us," she whispered pleadingly, her voice cracking. Bella was the only one to turn and look at her. "It's me they want… And… I guess Dylan… Take care of… the kids for me…"

"I will never leave you," I promised in a whisper. "We'll get you out of this, I swear."

Max only shook her head, wincing as she did so. Her eyes closed as she passed out again.

Edward came over to me after Max was completely unconscious. He looked sad, but determined.

"Let Jasper take her from here, so you can fight," he offered. "Alice already saw that nothing bad will happen if he leaves."

I nodded, handing Max over to Jasper. I knew better then to bet against both Edward and Alice, even if I hated what had to be done. I wanted nothing more than to remain with Max, but I had to stay and fight. Jasper had to go so he wouldn't need to worry about his thirst. We would no doubt be bleeding after this.

Jasper ran off, Max and Tyler in his arms. Some of the new Flyboys, or Zetas as Dylan called them, started following him, but Edward and Emmet stopped them.

I destroyed one Zeta after another. They kept coming, but I was in such a blind fury I didn't notice. Lumi was taking out Zetas easily. I figured she knew their weakness already. Angel and Dylan were standing back-to-back, using only their minds to keep their opponents away. Gazzy, Iggy, and Raz were happily blowing fifty robots up at a time. The Cullens were using their enhanced speed and strength to take down the Zetas before they realized they were being attacked.

I was shocked when the Zetas returned to the School. I ordered everyone to the sky. The Cullens ran to the edge of the woods as Gazzy and Iggy dropped a huge bomb over the school. We flew away as it exploded. Again.

The last thing I saw before we headed for Max was four children standing in front of the burning building. They were watching us in an odd way, as if they'd never seen us before. I guessed they hadn't.

Whoever these children were had to be bad news.

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**Again, sorry for the shortness. I will try and update soon, and with a longer, better chapter. I've just been busy, tired, and sick lately, and still am. Tenth grade stinks. ^-^ Please review, they help so much! I'd love to hear for any ideas you have. That's it, I suppose. God bless! -Max**


	10. Danger

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Please don't kill me! I'm so sorry it's taken so long for me to update! I'm also very sorry this is so short! And thanks to my lovely reviewers! -Max

**Disclaimer: If Maximum Ride and Twilight were mine, I'd be rich!**

**Claimer: I think you know...**

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*Dylan POV*

After Fang and the others rescued Max and I, they brought us up to Washington. Forks, Washington, to be exact. The town was incredibly small in size. The brown-skinned-never-stops-talking girl, Nudge, told me that there were only a couple thousand people in the town. It was one of the smallest towns, population-wise. And possibly the rainiest, weather-wise.

I hated it. Every single persons' thoughts were attacking me constantly. It was not much better at the Cullen's house, either. There was so many people living there. I couldn't block out their thoughts unless I was blaring music in my ears.

Lumi had convinced the Cullens to decorate the attic for my bedroom. I had to admit, it was nice. An entire wall was devoted to music. They'd bought me cd's from every genre so I could see what I liked the best. So far I liked Rock best. It was easy to drown out all the voices in my head with the loud music blaring in my ears.

The only time I left the safety of the attic was to get food. I only did that at night, though. We were never fed more then once a day at the School, so I wasn't very hungry. I didn't have much of an appetite yet.

Another reason I didn't leave my room was that I didn't trust the Cullens. Nudge had explained to me what they were. I felt completely unsafe around them, even though at least ten different avians have told me that we can trust them. I'm just too paranoid, I guess.

Max still hadn't woken up yet, three days after we were freed. Dr. Cullen was terribly worried about that. So was I. Max wasn't having any dreams at all. I couldn't even find any when I searched her mind, which made me nervous. Her dreams always screamed out to me back at the School.

The vampire family kept thinking about some group of vampires called the Volturi. The shortest of them, Alice, had seen the future. She saw the Volturi decide to come here, to Forks, to see us. To see what we were. The whole Cullen family was a wreck.

Fang wasn't too well, either. He kept switching from worrying about the unconscious Max to panicking over the Volturi visit. His constantly changing thoughts annoyed me to know end. His changing moods annoyed Southern-accent Civil War Veteran Jasper, too.

Out of all the Cullens, I felt safest with him, which was incredibly weird. He was possibly the most dangerous of the Cullens, not counting Bella who was a newborn. Though she _was _impressively in control for being a new vampire.

Here I was, three days after being rescued, laying on the long black sofa in my room, blaring Linkin Park at the loudest volume possible. This genre of music was by far my favorite, to Edward's distaste. I could relate to many of the songs and it helped clear my mind from all the thoughts.

The kids were all at school. Rosalie and Emmet were gone, off visiting the Denali Clan from I heard. Edward and Bella were visiting Charlie, Bella's dad, with Jacob and Renesmee. Alice and Esme were shopping. Carlisle was at work, Iggy with him. Raz was sleeping in. Jasper and Fang were the only other ones here.

The attic door knocked. I pulled the headphones off my ears and let them settle on my throat so I could still hear the songs. I called out, "Come in". Jasper entered.

"Out of everyone who lives here, you are the only calm one," he noted. He sat in my computer chair. "And you, of all people, should be the biggest wreck."

I nodded, understanding what he meant. Too much was happening at once. That's why I'd retreated to the safety of my attic-room.

I knew Jasper was grateful I was in the house. I knew all about his emotion-feeling ability, so I knew that everyone's crazed emotions were bugging him. His efforts to calm them all down were futile. Whenever things got too hectic downstairs he'd come up here and tell me about the Civil War, a topic I was surprisingly interested in.

Jasper was in the middle of telling me about one of his battles when I heard a scream come from downstairs.

I threw off the headphones and rushed down to the nursery. Fang was already there, holding Tyler, a confused and worried look on his face. I took the crying baby and ran a finger down her cheek gently. He stopped crying instantly.

_Ty, what's wrong? _I asked. I was a little worried myself. Tyler never cried out unless something was very wrong. For her to cry, well, that took a _very _wrong something.

The little baby girl looked up at me, eyes wide. She always knew when something bad was about to happen.

_People coming,_ Tyler thought. _Bad vampires._

I knew right away what she meant. The Volturi were coming.

They were coming today.

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**Again, sorry for the lateness and shortness! I have too much to do right now. And I'm sick... again :( Hopefully the next chapter will be longer.**

**I have a poll on my homepage. It's for how many kids Max will have... I can't really decide on that. Please vote. Thanks!**

**Please review! And let me know if you have any ideas for upcoming chapters... I'm kind of stuck right now ^-^**

**God bless!**

**-Max**


	11. Volturi's Arrival

**So... Here's another update. Sorry it's so short again! -Max**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride or Twilight...**

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_*Dylan POV*_

I had no clue who the Volturi were, but I knew they were bad- though nothing could be as bad as the School- from reading Fang's mind. From what I understood, they were some of the most powerful vampires alive. Or dead. Undead? Living dead? Well, whichever they are, their word was law.

It was up to them if we lived or died. Or became vampires.

As soon as Tyler told me what was happening, I told Fang. Before he could even pull out his cell phone, it rang. Alice was calling. She had just found out what I already knew. She said the Volturi was very close, already in Washington. They would be at the baseball clearing in less than two minutes.

We couldn't run.

What was worse was that we were basically alone. Alice and Esme were on their way. Edward was on his way, too. Carlisle couldn't get away from the hospital. Iggy also had to stay.

I grabbed Tyler and went downstairs. Fang was pacing by the enormous glass window. Vani and Jordan were watching him from a sofa, confused. Cartoons were playing on the TV, though no one watched them.

Suddenly the front door blew open. Alice stopped in the middle of the living room, dropping at least two dozen full shopping bags. Esme was right behind her with close to the same amount, Edward not far behind with even more. They both stopped next to the spiky-haired girl.

_I wonder what these things are. Will we need to get rid of them?_

_Why does Aro let this caravan continue to grow…? This cannot be any good…_

"They are right behind us," Edward stated regretfully. Alice nodded.

_Oh, poor dears! I truly hope nothing will happen to them!_

"They'll be out front in half a minute," she added.

_I wonder how Aro will act? First Bella, then Nessie, and now this? Why he has not yet gotten rid of us is beyond me._

_Why's Fang so sad? Is it 'cuz Mama's not 'waked yet? She ain't dead… Hmmm…..._

_Eighteen, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen, fourteen, thirteen…_

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. All of these voices were coming at me at once. I was starting to get a headache.

"It's time," Alice whispered. I took another deep breath as the three Cullens raced outside to greet their uninvited guests.

_I can smell their blood from here. The reports were right. They smell wonderful..._

_This is a waste of my time. Why Aro made Jane and me come is beyond me, if he doesn't plan to kill them._

_This had better be interesting..._

_I wish Carlisle was here. Aro trusts him more than any of us._

_I can't tell how this will end! Ugh!_

_Alice is really worried... Why can't she tell what will happen? Now I'm getting nervous, too._

_More vampires are coming? They don't smell nice either. They smell like human blood..._

Five minutes went by. Fang was standing completely still, actually going invisible as he did so. Vanish, momentarily distracted from his confusion, copied him, though this was on purpose. Jordon looked up at me with solemn eyes, knowing that this was not the time to be playing games.

Just then, a group of vampires clad in dark cloaks emerged from the trees. This was it.

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**Ok. I have writer's block. It's aweful. I have no idea what to do. I just had to go and add the Twilight characters! AGH! Anyway, I'm pretty lost right now. I don't know when the next update will be. All I know is it won't be soon. I've been sick lately and extremely tired. And I have school and track starts this week... So it'll be a while before I add more. I don't even know if I want to continue with this story. I don't like it anymore. I might go back and edit it so there's no more vampires in it. I just don't know yet. That said, go check out my poll and vote please! I have names, I just need numbers. Thanks and have an awesome week! God bless! -Max**


	12. Max and Aro

**Hey my readers! So I hope this chapter is tons better than the last. I think I've figured out the next few, so I should post a few more in the next week or so. That said, enjoy! -Max**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Maximum Ride and Twilight rights, though I do own the books... Well, my sister owns the Twilight Saga but still. ^-^**

**Claimer: My characters, plot, etc...**

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Just then, a group of vampires clad in dark cloaks emerged from the trees. This was it.

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_***Dylan POV***_

Everyone froze. I could smell them. They were cold, lifeless. No heartbeat. Unnatural.

Sort of like me.

Fang moved slightly, reappearing beside Edward. Alice, restless, danced around our little group. Esme reached out a hand to settle her. Vanish became visible once more, reaching for my hand. I let him hold it.

The Volturi came out of the woods, stopping one hundred sixty-four and a half feet from us. No one spoke for a full three minutes.

_So these are the avians! Marvelous!_

_Their hearts are different. Faster, smoother beats. Movement more graceful than a human, not as fluid as vampire. They may be a good addition… I wonder if they have any powers? The report never said…_

_Oh, Carlisle, please hurry! _

_I can't see what's going to happen! AGH! Why? Is the Pack coming? Oh, I hope not! Maybe when we're done here I can take Nudge and Angel to the mall… Seattle has such wonderful stores!_

"Aro, Caius, Marcus," Esme called out. "How nice to see you! What brings you by?"

Aro grinned. "I think you know, Esme. It would appear that you have more humans in your mix. Was Bella not enough for you?"

Edward spoke up. "I bed your pardon, Aro, but these are not humans. Well, not completely. They are two percent avian. We have not broken your laws."

Aro laughed. "When we made these laws, humans were not being turned into avians, Edward. We are not here to destroy, as you can plainly see. We are merely here to observe and learn."

The old vampire turned to Fang and I. "Fang, I believe we have already met. It appears that there are more of you now, though."

Fang sighed and stepped forward. Aro placed a cloaked hand on Fang's shoulder.

_Cages, needles, pain, darkness, Max, running, tests, flying, Jeb, Angel, Gazzy, a gang, fighting, sunset, the School, Itex, a castle, a blog, a computer, vampires, school, teachers, friends._

I blinked and shook my head. Aro was reading every thought that Fang had ever had, at an unbelievable speed. I was overwhelmed.

"Ah. I see."

Fang and Aro both turned to me after a few seconds of silent communication. I knew what they wanted.

"Dylan?"

I shook my head, taking a step back. I barely trusted the vampires who lived in this house. From what I've heard about the Volturi, I had no reason to trust them. I feared them, and rightly so.

Fang sighed, annoyed. "Just let him touch your arm."

I stepped back again. Fang growled, a low warning sound. Aro took two steps forward, closing the distance between us immensely. I loosened my shoulders, preparing to fly away if necessary.

"I will not harm you," Aro called out. _This child fears me. Excellent. I can use that to my advantage._

_Why doesn't he just do as he's asked? He's just like Max!_

_I don't understand… What's happening?_

_This will not end good…_

_I still can't see! Why? Why?_

_This is bad! Alice still is not able to tell the future…._

I took five steps back. Vani and Jordan came with me. Aro moved forward again. Fang followed him, glaring at me, silently ordering me to obey.

I didn't.

Aro moved at me at vampire-speed now. I dodged out of the way, easily reading his mind, able to tell where he was going before he even knew himself. It was one of the few things that kept me alive at the School.

"Dylan!" Fang cried. "Just let him touch your arm!"

Aro came at me again. I dodged away once more.

"Partirlo solo!"

Everyone froze, turning to look at who called out. It was Max, to our surprise. She was leaning against the doorframe, pale and in pain.

I rushed over to Max and put most of her weight on my shoulder. I helped her down to the group of vampires and bird-kids.

_Dylan, what's going on?_ Max demanded.

_I'll leave the whole explanations to Tyler. In short, all those people are vampires. The ones in the dark capes are the Volturi, Italian vampires. They're basically the royal vampires. They've come to see if we're a threat to their secret or not. _

_I see,_ Max replied. _And the head one, Aro?, wants to touch your arm so he can read your mind, then?_

_If he makes contact with my skin he'll know every thought I've ever head, and everything I've known,_ I explained.

_And we don't want that, now do we? _Max teased. _I'll let him touch my arm. I'll only let him see what I want him to see, not what he wants to see. Remind me to teach you that sometime._

Max looked up at Aro. In a low, raspy voice she said, "Tocchi il mio braccio." Aro nodded once and planed a hand on her arm. He removed it in half a minute, a frown on his face.

_She went through all that? I now understand these creatures are no threat to our secret. They are a threat to our existence, though. Unless I can pull one or more of them into the Guard._

Aro turned to his companions. "I do not believe we will need to remain here any longer. Come, let us depart." He turned to Max, a thoughtful look on his aged face. "Woud I come voi per unirlo. Avrò un posto pronto per voi. Pensi a questo proposito."

The Volturi left then. Max closed her eyes, leaning against me more. She shouldn't have even been able to sit up, let alone walk all the way out here.

I quickly looked through Fang's mind, checking to see if he could understand Spanish. Luckily he couldn't.

"¿Qué era eso?" I asked. I knew Max would be too exhausted to mind-speak.

"Nada," Max replied too softly for the Vampires to hear. Necesito hablar con usted en privado. No sé qué está sucediendo."

¿Ahora?" I wondered. Max nodded.

"Si," she said. "Ahora es buena."

Max took off into the sky. I followed instantly. Everyone watched us leave, confused and still mostly in shock.

I had a lot to tell Max.

-----

_Italian:_

**Partirlo solo- **Leave him alone!

**Tocchi il mio braccio- **Touch my arm.

**Woud I come voi per unirlo- **I would like you to join us.

**Avrò un posto pronto per voi-** I will have a place ready for you.

**Pensi a questo proposito- **Think about it.

_Spanish_

**¿Qué era eso? **- What was that?

**Necesito hablar con usted en privado** - I need to talk to you in private.

**No sé qué está seceded - **I do not know what is happening.

**¿Ahora? -** Now?

**Si** - Yes.

**Ahora es buena -** Now is good.

* * *

**Yay! Another chapter! I'm even more busy now than ever, but I will still try to update more often. Please review this chapter! I didn't get any last time :( But that's ok because I presonally didn't like that chapter. OK, have an awesome week! God bless y'all! -Max-**


	13. Chapter 13

-To everyone who reads my stories-

First off, I apologize for not updating in so long.

Second, I will not be continuing this story.

At least, not the way it is now.

I will restart.

There will be no more Twilight.

I am sick of those books.

Sorry to those who love them.

It will not be a crossover of any kind.

I will try to update at least once a week.

Hopefully I will be able to begin again by summer.

My excuses:

1. I've been sick lately.

I've seen my doctor more times in the last three months than I have in the last three years.

I've had a blood test and will soon get an ECG/EKG.

2. School.

Need I say more?

Sophmore year stinks.

3. Sports.

Track has started, practice or meet every day.

4. Squad.

I'm an EMT and I ride on Sundays.

No writing time there.

5. I'm just too tired.

6. I just got my laptop working again.

7. I'm stuck at this point in the story.

It's not where I had origanally planned for it to go.

So that's why I haven't updated.

I'm very sorry to those who enjoy this story.

I just don't like it anymore.

Please don't hate me for doing this.

Thanks for reading this!

-Max-


	14. Important!

**------------------**

**_Attention! Very important!_**

**_I will no longer be using ths account for my stories. _**

**_Please look for them on my new one, Maxccg1992._**

**_I will post "We've All Changed" and "Maximum Ride: Concrete Angel" there once I finish some changes._**

**_I am restarting "Freedom Isn't Free", probably with a new title._**

**_Thank you and have a nice day!_**

**_-Max-_**


	15. NOTICE IMPORTANT NOTICE

To anyone interested in reading my stories:

I have a new account and pen name.

krisuvial is my new account.

In one week I will be deleating everything off my maximumrideaddict account.

I will be putting my stories up on my new account, edited and basically made better.

Thank you for continuing to read my stories!

And I will actually follow through this time!

Feel free to PM me with ideas and/or comments.

Have a great week!

-Krisuvial, aka Max-


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